Psyche Stories
by Black Raider
Summary: We saw how a small-town girl became intertwined with international espionage. We witnessed a young woman become a champion and a firefighter. But that wasn't the full story, nor was it the end. These are the stories of Harley Hudson and Sky Riley, and the adventures of their lives.
1. Siblings

**A/N: Behold! The first one-shot of more to come! These will be one-shots that take place before, after, and possibly during the events of _Cars, Cars 2, Planes,_ and _Planes: Fire and Rescue_ , featuring my OCs Harley Hudson and Skylar Riley!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Siblings**

"I wanna see the baby! I wanna see the baby! I wanna see the baby! C'mon, lemme see 'er lemme see 'er lemme see 'er!"

"Mater!" Sheriff barked. "Would you just calm down for once?"

The rusted tow truck pouted. "But I wanna see the baby!"

"We _all_ want to see her." Sarge assured. "But let's give Paula and John some time alone with their little soldier before we swarm them."

"They done had enough time!" Mater complained. "They've been in there forever!"

"The baby ain't goin' nowhere, Mater." Sheriff said with a roll of his eyes. "And she _lives_ with us! We'll get time to be with her, but ya gotta be patient."

"Well why does Doc git ta be with her?" Mater pouted again.

"He's the _doctor_ , man." Ramone said. Mater couldn't argue with that, but he also couldn't stop pouting.

Doc finally emerged from the clinic a few minutes later, a warm smile on his face as he saw the Radiator Springs residents still outside. "Ready to meet our newest little desert dweller?"

"Mater certainly is." Sheriff chuckled, everyone glancing to said tow truck as his tow cable began shaking like a dog's wagging tail.

Doc chuckled. "All right, but we're all goin' over to Flo's and Paula, her parents, and John will come out to see us. I don't want Paula and the baby to get crowded."

"What's the kid's name?" Fillmore asked as everyone drove over to Flo's.

"Harley." Doc reported. "Harley Jacobs-Davidson."

"Should've known Paula would take advantage of her maiden name." Flo laughed.

The human residents of Radiator Springs finally arrived. Paula's parents stood on one side of her, and John stood on the other side. But everyone was focused on the bundle of yellow blanket in Paula's arms. Paula and her family stood at the front of the café, looking out to the town.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet our new baby girl: Harley." Paula introduced, tilting the bundle so everyone could see the baby inside. The vehicles of the town (sans Doc) all cooed happily at the sight of the baby: fair skin, thin brunette hair, and slightly chubby cheeks. Baby Harley's face scrunched up and she yawned cutely as she rubbed her eyes with her tiny fists. She opened her eyes, those beautiful crystal orbs staring at everything around her.

"Oh Paula!" Lizzy sighed. "She's precious."

"She's so beautiful." Sheriff agreed.

" _Carino!"_ Guido cried happily.

"You are-a right, Guido." Luigi said. "She's-a so cute!"

"Good-lookin' kid, man." Ramone said.

"Like a desert flower." Fillmore sighed.

"Gonna be a strong soldier." Sarge nodded.

Harley blinked, then giggled.

"And listen to her!" Flo gasped. "Well done, honey."

Red murmured a soft, "Nice baby."

"You did good, Paula." Doc complimented. "You should be proud."

Paula cuddled her child. "I am."

John put an arm around Paula's shoulders. "We both are."

"And think: you already have two babysitters ready when you need the night off." Paula's mother said.

"Although we may have a hard time giving her back." Paula's father laughed, much to the amusement of the residents.

Sheriff realized Mater hadn't said much, and he had been the most excited to see the baby. He glanced to the tow truck and blinked in surprise to see Mater staring at Harley with a completely enthralled expression. The tow truck just couldn't tear his eyes away from the baby in the yellow blanket, yet he couldn't explain why. Tentatively, he drove forward a few feet and closer to the baby. Paula noticed and brought Harley closer to Mater. Harley looked up to Mater, her crystal irises locking onto the bright green-hazel of Mater's eyes. The baby looked about as fascinated as the tow truck, and Mater smiled softly.

"Hey there lil' Harley." Mater said in a soft voice. The rest of the residents stared in surprise; how often did Mater speak in such a quiet tone? Then, another surprise: Mater nuzzled his fender against Harley's head, _very_ gently. Harley giggled, reaching out to grab Mater's fender. She rubbed her hands across his metal and headlight, awed by the texture of the rust.

"I think she likes you." Paula said with a smile.

Mater focused mostly on Harley, watching her pat his rusted metal curiously. "I like her, too."

Nobody could believe it. How could a small child, a _baby,_ make Mater's personality take such a drastic turn? Mater was still the same, even after Harley's birth: loud, childish, goofy, and albeit clumsy. He still acted like the Mater everyone knew. But the second Harley came around, he changed in a fraction of a second. He became quiet and gentle, as though Harley were a piece of fragile china. In general, Harley found her vehicular neighbors fascinating, but she seemed to love being around Mater the most. She patted his metal hide and rubbed the rust as it got on her fingers. Mater often spoke to her as they spent time together, talking about the events of the day or telling Harley all about her new family in Radiator Springs. Paula, who often stayed with Harley during her playdates with Mater, found their interactions rather cute. Everyone in town could see a bond formed between the tow truck and the baby.

This bond continued to grow stronger, and before anyone knew it Harley turned one year old. Everyone threw a big party in the town, and each resident had a gift for the girl like a snow globe from Lizzie's shop, flowers from Red, and a couple Italian children's books with the promise to help Harley learn the language. Mater's gift surprised everyone the most. They expected him to give her some sort of junk that would ultimately be too dangerous for her to have. Instead, Mater arrived with an old wrench he cleaned up. Harley hugged it like a teddy bear, babbling happily. Nobody was sure if she loved the gift because of what it was or because it was Mater who gave it to her.

Paula watched Harley play in her playpen, giggling at the sight of the girl babbling away while making her teddy bear dance. Paula pulled the pen farther into the shade of a stall at Flo's café, earning a brief indignant whine from her daughter when she moved her as well.

"Hey Paula!" John called as he approached. "How's Harley doing?"

"Fine." Paula said. "Looks happy enough."

"I mean, how has she been acting?" John asked, sounding a little worried.

Paula looked up to her husband. "What's this about?"

John sighed, looking around a bit. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Paula had a sinking feeling about where this was going, but she nodded. "All right." She and John walked down the road towards the edge of town, leaving Harley in her playpen. The baby watched her parents go, but soon resumed her playing. She knew her family was still nearby if she needed anything. All she had to do was start making noise and someone would come running. So she kept playing with her teddy. But then, a small white butterfly appeared, fluttering in her line of sight. Awed, Harley abandoned her teddy bear and began reaching for the butterfly. When the insect continued to fly, Harley crawled after it until she reached the bars of her playpen. Using the railing as a support, she pulled herself to her feet and reached for the pretty creature. Her find continued to fly, despite her complaints. Didn't this little thing know that when she reached for something, it was supposed to come back to her? Harley leaned out, and the flimsy latch on her playpen gate broke. She fell to the ground, but ignored the pain as she hurriedly crawled after the butterfly.

"John, that's ridiculous." Paula laughed, her and her husband standing at the edge of town.

"It's not ridiculous!" John protested. "If human children can believe to be dogs from being raised by them, the same can happen to a human child being raised by vehicles! I just think that Harley shouldn't be babysat by anyone except your parents."

"First off, we can't just tell everyone in Radiator Springs they can't come near our daughter." Paula said. "Second, they're not the ones raising her: _we_ are."

John sighed. "All right, point taken. But what about the other dangers of this place? We can't let our daughter grow up in a dangerous place."

"Dangerous?" Paula raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, like…uh, coyotes! What if coyotes come into town?" John suggested.

Paula rolled her eyes, but still smiled. "John, coyotes don't come into town. And if they did, Sheriff would take care of them. Really, what more do we have to worry about except tractor stampedes?"

John chuckled softly. "I suppose you're right."

"And how often do tractor stampedes happen?" Paula asked, raising an eyebrow.

John glared a bit now. "They wouldn't happen at all if Mater didn't go tractor-tipping."

"Now that's not true." Paula protested. "The tractors could break out on their own."

"I would _love_ to see how." John rolled his eyes.

Paula shook her head, but paused. _What's that sound?_ John heard it, too. The two of them could hear and even feel a rumbling. They looked down the road, the two of them tense.

 _Moooooooo!_

"Look out!" John hurriedly pulled Paula aside as the herd of tractors stampeded past them and into town.

"A stampede?" Paula gasped. Her eyes widened. "Harley!" She and John took off into the town, running towards Flo's café. They dodged tractors and their neighbors, the Radiator Springs residents doing a mix of running from tractors and trying to herd them together to get them home. Paula and John reached the playpen by Flo's café, but gaped in horror to find the pen door open and their daughter missing.

"Harley? Harley!" John shouted, staring out at the chaos of the tractor stampede.

"Harley, where are you?" Paula shouted. But no matter where she looked, she couldn't see her daughter anywhere. She and John jumped as a tractor sped past, running over Harley's playpen and some of her toys. Sheriff chased the tractor, and Paula followed the chase to see Harley sitting in the middle of the road. A butterfly fluttered around her head, and she giggled as she tried to catch it.

"Harley!" John shouted, him and Paula running towards the baby. But he saw a tractor coming right into their path and he pulled Paula back as the tractor sped past, narrowly missing them. But they looked back to Harley and their eyes widened at the sight of a tractor barreling straight towards the oblivious baby. Harley reached up to catch the butterfly, but fell to her back and started giggling. She had no idea a tractor was only several feet from her.

" _Harley!"_ Paula screamed.

 _BAM!_

Paula and John gaped at the sight. A split-second before the tractor could hit Harley, Mater appeared and put himself between the animal and the baby. The force of the tractor hitting the tow truck caused Mater to scoot back so he stood over Harley, but he remained firm to keep the tractor from hitting the girl. Harley started wailing in fear at the loud noise. Mater's face was scrunched up in pain, his teeth grinding together. The tractor bounced back, mooing in a daze.

"Go on, git!" Sheriff barked, herding the tractor away from Mater and Harley. Fillmore, Red, and Sarge stood by to get the tractors back home, herding the animals out of town. Sheriff looked to Mater, noting the pained look on Mater's face and the giant dent on his side; almost his entire flank was caved in. "Mater! You all right?"

Mater took in a shaky breath and opened his eyes, gently backing up to stare at a still-crying Harley. "Harley. She okay?"

Sheriff was surprised, but checked Harley. Apart from crying in fear, the baby looked unharmed. "She's fine. But we gotta get ya to Doc."

"Gotta make sure….Harley's okay….." Mater groaned a bit, pain radiating across his entire body. "Gotta…"

"Mater, just stay still." Doc ordered as he approached. Paula came and scooped up Harley, sighing in relief as she hugged her daughter. Doc and Sheriff gently guided Mater away and to the clinic, even while the tow truck stared at Harley most of the time. But when he saw she was unhurt, he finally rolled alongside Sheriff and into Doc's clinic. Doc checked out the dent, wincing a bit. It would take a good amount of work to get that back into place.

"You okay, Mater?" Sheriff asked worriedly. The tow truck didn't look so pained anymore.

"I'm okay." Mater murmured.

"You sure?" Doc asked sternly. "Don't try bein' tough, Mater. If you feel like something's wrong, say so."

"It jus' hurts, Doc." Mater said.

Doc nodded. "As long as that's all. Let's get that dent fixed up and you can head home. You're still gonna be plenty sore for a day or two, but it shouldn't be a problem. But if it bothers ya too much, I can give you some painkillers."

Mater nodded aimlessly, not exactly looking forward to having that giant dent popped back into place. Sheriff stared at Mater for a long moment, as though trying to figure out a puzzle. "Why did ya do that, Mater? You coulda been killed."

"Harley was okay, right?" Mater asked, sounding worried.

"She's fine." Sheriff assured.

Doc paused as he came around with the tools. "You should be proud, Mater. You saved her life."

"I jus' wanted ta help her." Mater said, shrugging his fender a bit.

"Knowing you coulda been hurt?" Sheriff asked.

Mater winced as Doc began pulling the dent back. "I wanted ta help her."

Doc stared at Mater for a moment, then continued his work. Sheriff stuck around for moral support, smiling sympathetically when Mater kept wincing in pain. It took about an hour to pop the dent back into place. The metal where the dent once rested was now bumpy and rough, but Doc decided to hold off on the sander until Mater was feeling better.

But there was one thing still on his and Sheriff's mind. "Mater, why do you like Harley so much?"

Mater smiled softly, sighing. "I dunno. Dere's just somethin' about her. Her purty eyes, her bright smile, the way she laughs." He sighed happily. "I dunno why I love her so much, but I'm so glad she's part of de family."

Sheriff smirked. _He's gone soft to the highest degree._ "We are too, Mater. Now come along; you're going straight home to rest."

Mater sighed. "Okay." He followed Sheriff and Doc outside to go home, but the three of them paused at the sound of shouting.

Doc rolled his eyes. "What's John gettin' worked up about this time?"

John, as it turned out, was worked up over the stampede. "If that thick-headed tow truck hadn't gone and done something stupid like that, none of that would've happened!"

"You don't know that." Ramone protested.

"Hey!" Doc snapped as he, Sheriff, and Mater came over. "What's goin' on?"

John glared at Mater. "I hope he's getting punished for what happened."

"Pardon?" Sheriff raised an eye frame, glaring a bit.

"If that _idiot_ hadn't gone tractor tipping again, none of this would've happened!" John shouted. "He almost got my daughter killed!"

"He saved yer daughter's life." Sheriff corrected. "You ought to be grateful."

"And I wasn't tractor tippin'." Mater added.

John scoffed in disbelief. "Mater's been in town all day." Doc said. "There's no way he could've caused that stampede."

John glared. "Then how do you explain what happened? How did the tractors get out?"

"Coyotes." Everyone turned as Sarge came up, followed by Fillmore and Red. "We inspected the fence and found coyote tracks near the tractor pen. The latch to the gate was destroyed. Clearly the animals were spooked and broke out themselves."

John looked down, remembering his talk with Paula. He couldn't deny the truth, but he was still plenty angry. So he muttered a forced "Sorry" to Mater before stomping off to return home. But as he stomped off, Paula came up with a fussing Harley in her arms. The woman noticed the townsfolk and hurried her pace.

"Paula, is-a something wrong?" Luigi asked worriedly.

"Well Harley's been fussy all afternoon." Paula explained. "No matter what I do, she won't stop crying."

"She's not hungry or anything?" Sheriff asked. "Maybe she's still scared from the stampede?"

Paula shook her head. "I have a theory, because she won't stop saying 'May.'"

Everyone exchanged looks. Harley couldn't form very many legible words at this stage in her life, so most of the time she couldn't even pronounce the townsfolk's name. But everyone knew who she meant when she said "May."

Paula walked up to Mater, holding Harley out to him. When the one-year-old saw Mater, she stopped crying and reached out to him. Mater smiled and came forward, nuzzling Harley's head. Harley giggled, babbling away and rubbing Mater's fender. Mater kept smiling, staying close to Harley. The baby rubbed her head against Mater, cooing cutely.

Doc smirked. "You know, Mater actually needs to get home so he can rest. But perhaps he and Harley would be more comfortable in the clinic."

Paula nodded. "I agree. Mater, may we join you for the evening?"

Mater looked excited. "Yeah! Let's go!"

Doc chuckled as he led the way back to the clinic, Mater and Paula following. Mater kept his eyes on Harley for the most part, the baby still rubbing his fender as though to comfort him. Mater smiled warmly, a grin that didn't leave his lips even when he fell asleep that night.

 _I love ya, Harley…mah lil' Sissy._


	2. First Tractor Tip

**A/N: Here's another one! This is also a Harley-centric story, but the next one I publish will be a Sky-centric story. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **First Tractor Tip**

Harley bit her tongue in concentration, looking back and forth from her paper to her subject. She gripped her crayon firmly in one hand, often switching colors every few seconds. Her rust-colored hair barely brushed past her ear lobes, and freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. She wore denim shorts and her Hudson Hornet themed T-shirt she made a year ago, sitting cross-legged in front of Stanley's statue.

Doc exited the courthouse and noticed his adoptive daughter's position, rolling over to her. "Hey there, sweetheart. What're you doing?"

"Drawing." Harley replied simply, focusing on her task.

Doc looked over and saw Harley attempting to draw the downtown main street, with her vehicular family on the main road and smiling at her. It was rough and very cartoonish, like most eight-year-old drawings, but it looked pretty good for someone Harley's age. "Not bad, kiddo."

"Thanks!" Harley said happily. "I'm gonna hang it up in my room." She continued to color for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. "What do you think?"

"Perfect." Doc nodded. "You're a regular da Vinci."

"What's a 'da Vinci'?" Harley asked.

Doc chuckled. "I'll tell ya later. You stay out of trouble, okay?" He began driving off.

"Oh Daddy!" Harley called, stopping her surrogate father. "Mater invited me to sleepover at his house tonight. Can I go?"

"I don't see why not." Doc agreed. Harley often had sleepovers at the homes of the other residents, Mater included. "But you behave yourself."

"Yes, Daddy." Harley nodded, taking out a new sheet of paper to keep drawing. Doc drove off, briefly wondering if it was a good idea leaving Mater and Harley alone for the night. He soon decided it would be fine; Mater loved Harley more than anything, and he'd do anything to keep her safe.

* * *

Harley slept soundly, curled up on a blanket with another blanket cocooned around her. She breathed evenly, the sound of the crickets lulling her off to dreamland. But she soon became aware of someone nudging her constantly, and she moaned sleepily as she rolled over to her back. The brunette tiredly blinked her eyes open to see Mater standing over her.

"Mater?" Harley whispered sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

"C'mon, git up!" Mater whispered, looking excited. "Ev'ryone else fell asleep!"

"Just like we should have." Harley yawned, rolling over to sleep.

"C'mon, I got somethin' fun planned fer us!" Mater whispered excitedly.

Harley sighed, but pushed herself upright and rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. She just couldn't say "no" to Mater, and curiosity spiked when she heard he had something fun planned for them. She grabbed her flip flops from nearby and slipped them on, climbing into Mater's flatbed and plopping down as the tow truck began to drive off. She was glad for her long-sleeved pajamas, otherwise the cool desert night air would make her shiver. She looked all around as Mater drove, wondering where he was taking her. He kept his headlights off, but Harley could see they headed straight for the grassy fields where a herd of tractors lived. Harley didn't know much about the tractors; they seemed to provide the town with milk when they needed it, especially after she was born, and they were taken care of by a bull by the name of Frank. But Harley had only ever been to the fields once, when Sheriff brought her out during one of their hikes. She couldn't find Frank, but then again she had no idea what the bull looked like.

"What're we doin' here?" Harley whispered, a bit surprised when Mater snuck into the pasture.

"I'm gonna teach ya tractor tippin'!" Mater whispered excitedly.

"Tractor tipping?" Harley tilted her head to one side in confusion.

"Yeah, it's fun!" Mater snickered.

Harley blinked. "I dunno, Mater."

"Oh come on, you'll love it!" Mater assured. "Climb out an' wait here. I'll show ya how it's done!"

Harley nodded, hopping down to the grass and watching Mater approach one of the tractors. She stared in curiosity, wondering what would be so entertaining about pushing a tractor over. Mater crept up to the tractor, smirking. Then, he blared his horn, making Harley jump at the loud noise. The tractor jumped too, the animal's eyes flying open. The tractor reared up on his hind wheels, mooing as he fell backwards. After a moment of gurgling sounds, the animal backfired and went back to sleep. Mater burst out laughing, and Harley giggled a little.

" _That's_ tractor tipping?" Harley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ain't it fun?" Mater laughed, sighing happily.

"I guess so." Harley shrugged, her and Mater moving farther into the field. Mater crept off to another tractor, repeating the process. Harley slapped a hand over her mouth to hide her giggles as Mater made his way back to her.

"See? Fun!" Mater laughed. "Yer turn, Sissy. Jus' go up to 'em and honk."

Harley stared at the tractors. "But I don't have a horn. How do I scare 'em?"

"You'll think of somethin'." Mater assured, gently pushing Harley forward. "Go on."

 _Great confidence booster._ Harley gulped a bit as she walked up to one of the sleeping tractors. She stared at the animal, thinking about how she could make a sound like Mater's horn. She glanced back to her surrogate brother, but he nodded encouragingly. Harley sighed, looking back to the tractor. Then, something clicked in her head, and she took a strong stance in front of the tractor. She cupped her hands around her mouth.

"FIRE!"She shouted. The tractor's eyes flew open, and Harley jumped back as the animal tipped over and backfired. She started laughing, as did Mater.

"Not bad, Sissy!" Mater laughed. "How'd ya know ta do that?"

"Sheriff said the best way to cause panic is to yell 'fire.'" Harley shrugged. She bounced on the balls of her feet. "Let's do that again!"

She and Mater split off, scaring the tractors and laughing when they tipped over. Harley didn't think she'd have so much fun, but she could understand why Mater was so excited to take her to do this. After making another tractor tip over, Harley noticed the wheels of what must've been another tractor in the tall bushes nearby. She smirked, tiptoeing over towards the bushes. Mater laughed as another tractor tipped, and he turned to ask Harley how she was doing. He noticed the young brunette creeping up towards the bushes nearby, and he could see the top of a certain bull peeking out from the foliage.

Mater's eyes widened. "Harley!" He called in a loud whisper, not wanting to wake the bull. "Wait! That's—"

"FIRE!" Harley shouted. She jumped when lights suddenly flicked on from the other side of the bushes, and a deep bellow rang out.

"Frank….." Mater gulped.

Harley's eyes widened when the bushes in front of her were torn to shreds, and a huge threshing machine mooed angrily at her. "Uh oh."

"Time ta go!" Mater shouted as he drove past, his tow hook grabbing Harley's shirt and pulling her into his flatbed. He took off, Frank right behind him. Harley stared in shock, gripping Mater's tow cable. Luckily, the tow truck managed to speed out the pen gate and Harley jumped out to shut the gate. Frank snorted at her, but rolled off and returned to his tractors. Harley scrambled over to Mater, jumping back into his flatbed as he sped off. They never realized Harley didn't shut the gate all the way and the latch came loose. They were too concerned with getting away from Frank. Once they made it a safe distance from the pen, Mater slowed down. After a moment of silence, he and Harley burst out laughing.

"Th-that was so fun!" Harley laughed, tears coming to her eyes.

"I knowed you'd like it!" Mater sighed, driving home.

"Just wait 'till Dad hears!" Harley whooped.

"No, no, no!" Mater said hurriedly. "We can't tell Doc."

"Why not?" Harley asked innocently.

"Well, he don't always like when I go tractor tippin'." Mater explained. "It's gotta be our lil' secret, okay?"

Harley sighed. "Oh all right." She smiled and jumped from Mater's flatbed, hugging the tow truck's fender. "Thanks for taking me tractor tippin'. I love you, Mater."

"Love ya too, Harley." Mater nuzzled the girl, the two of them laughing and talking all the way home.

* * *

As promised, Harley didn't tell Doc about the tractor tipping. She told him that she and Mater had a fun time and did some stargazing. Doc seemed skeptical, but didn't push it. So Harley went about her day, helping Guido and Luigi do an inventory on their supplies.

" _Grazie_ for your help, _piccolo_." Luigi said.

"No problem." Harley waved as she walked off. "See you guys at dinner!" She hummed to herself as she made her way home, looking forward to sitting down with a book she recently started. Or maybe she'd hike up to Willie's Butte or to the old Wheel Well.

"Howdy, Harley!" Sheriff greeted as he came into town.

"Hey Sheriff!" Harley waved.

"Where ya off to?" Sheriff asked, pulling up in front of her.

"Home." Harley said. "Maybe on a hike."

"I'd go with the home plan." Sheriff warned. "Noticed some coyotes while I was out. Best to just stay in town for now."

"What's so bad about coyotes?" Harley asked, trying to say "kai-yotes" like Sheriff did.

"They can be dangerous." Sheriff said. "They don't normally come near people but if they're hungry enough they'll git brave enough to attack."

"Oh okay." Harley nodded.

"Let's just be glad the gate to the tractor pen is locked otherwise the tractors would get spooked and break out." Sheriff said.

"Would that be bad?" Harley asked.

"Might cause a stampede." Sheriff explained.

Harley bobbed her head in understanding. But something caught her eye, and she looked out to see a small dust cloud in the distance. "Uh…Sheriff…what's that?"

Sheriff turned to follow her gaze, the two of them staring in confusion at the small cloud of dust. Sheriff's eyes narrowed a bit, and then widened when he heard a familiar sound. "Watch out!" He yelped, herding Harley aside as the tractor herd rumbled past them.

Harley stared in surprise. "Uh…is _that_ a stampede?"

"Yep." Sheriff growled. "Stay here!" He took off after the tractors. Harley watched, shocked yet amused, as the townsfolk began either chasing the tractors or driving away as they were chased.

"Mater!" Doc shouted.

"I wasn't tractor-tippin'!" Mater yelped, being chased by a tractor.

"Then why are these darned tractors in my town?!" Doc snapped, chasing one of the tractors in hopes of herding it back home.

Harley giggled, but yelped when a tractor came right at her. She took off running, shouting in terror as the tractor unwillingly chased her. "Daddy! Sheriff! Somebody help me!"

Most of the townsfolk tried to help, but either got cut off from another tractor or started getting chased by one. Before Harley was born, tractor stampedes through town were usually dangerous yet humorous. Now that they had a little kid to worry about, it was just flat-out dangerous. The last thing they wanted was a repeat of Harley's first tractor stampede. But it seemed no matter what they did, they couldn't reach Harley to help her. Harley dodged tractors and jumped over obstacles, trying to not get flattened by the stampede. But she looked back behind her and didn't see Luigi's tires until she tripped over them, sending her to the ground. She cowered a bit as a tractor came right at her, ready to unintentionally squash her flat.

"Harley!" Mater's tow hook suddenly grabbed a belt loop on her shorts, yanking her up onto his flatbed just as the tractor sped past. Several of the townsfolk managed to herd the tractors together, Red honking his horn to encourage the animals down the road and towards their home.

"Harley!" Doc called, him and Sheriff driving up. Harley jumped down from Mater's flatbed, looking shaken but unharmed. "Harley! Thank Ford you're alive."

"You all right?" Sheriff asked worriedly. "You ain't hurt, are ya?"

Harley didn't answer for a moment, her eyes wide and her breathing a bit labored. "That….was…" She broke into grins. "Awesome!" She laughed and whooped, jumping around. "That was incredible!"

Sheriff, Doc, and Mater stared. "Huh?"

Harley laughed. "Those tractors were like 'Moooo!' And we were all like 'Aahhhh!' And then Mater was like 'Zoom!' and I was like 'Whoa!' and….and….." She laughed more, unable to continue. "That was the coolest thing ever!" She hugged Mater. "Thank you, Mater. Hey, how about the next time we go tractor tipping, I'll remember to lock the gate?"

"You took her tractor tipping?" Doc snapped.

Mater didn't seem to hear, laughing. "Yeah! Or we could git in through another spot in de fence. Or how about we go look fer the Ghost Light?" Harley nodded excitedly, the two of them chatting away about their next adventure.

Sheriff and Doc shared a look before rolling their eyes. _And so Harley's innocence is corrupted. Ford help us all._


	3. Poisoning

**Poisoning**

Sky moaned tiredly. "Blade…turn off the stupid alarm."

Blade wearily blinked his eyes open, pressing the button on his radio alarm clock to stop the music. He yawned. "Okay, it's off. Time to get up."

Sky gave another tired moan. "Blade, you don't wake up early on a Saturday."

"You do when you're in fire season." Blade reminded her, eyeing the young woman where she slept in a hammock suspended several feet off the floor. "Come on, if I'm up you are too." Sky groaned, but started pushing herself upright. Blade yawned again. He could understand Sky's reluctance to get up that morning; the both of them had been up most of the night before because of a search-and-rescue operation with Jammer and the rangers that turned out to be a false alarm.

Ever since their certification, Dusty and Sky found their lives dramatically changed. Being both racers and firefighters certainly made life interesting. They also found that Piston Peak held a special place in their hearts, especially since discovering Sky's Soul Connection with Blade. So Mayday and Blade worked out a deal that allowed Sky and Dusty to spend at least half of fire season up at Piston Peak. They had already been up there for a few weeks, battling fires and hanging out with their comrades-in-arms. The air attack team welcomed the pair back warmly, happy to have their SEAT and "Lil' Raven" back on the base.

Blade noticed Sky still trying to pull herself from the hammock, moving rather slowly. "Come on, Raven. I thought you were the daughter of a Navy Commander."

Sky's eyes were still closed, even when she stretched to wake up her muscles. "Blade, there is not a force in this world that can make me wake up any faster than a cup of tea and breakfast."

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Sky's eyes shot open and she and Blade nearly jumped through the roof at the sound of Maru's enraged shout. "How about that?" Blade asked.

"Yeah, that'll work too." Sky hurried out of her hammock, jumping to a platform nearby and sliding down the ladder to the ground. Though she was still in her pajamas, she and Blade hurried out of the hanger and towards the source of the shout. The rest of the team joined them as they rushed to the kitchen area. Maru was already at the kitchen door, fuming with anger.

"Maru?" Blade called as everyone gathered around. "What happened?"

Maru turned to Blade, his eyes set in a furious glare. "I'll tell ya what happened! Someone left the door to the kitchen open all night!"

Blade groaned. "You're kidding."

Sky stepped forward and peered into the kitchen and dining area of the base. She slapped her hands over her mouth to hide her laughter, mostly failing but not caring. The entire inside of the eating area was trashed: the table overturned, the cabinets pulled open, the fridge and freezer doors ajar, and most of the food completely gone or all over the floor.

"I thought I told you to lock the kitchen when you were done in there!" Maru shouted at the Smokejumpers, seeing how they were the last ones out of the kitchen last night.

"We did!" Drip said.

"Yeah, honest!" Pinecone agreed.

"Doesn't look like it!" Maru growled.

"Maru, I personally locked the door after we left." Dynamite said. "I swear."

"Then how did this happen?" Blade asked, sounding more curious than anything else.

Sky took a look at the door, noticing some dents and scratch marks in the wood. "Maru, I'm pretty sure they _did_ lock the door. Look." She pointed to the scratches and dents. "Those were made by an animal, most likely a bear. Jammer _has_ been warning us that there's been quite a few sightings of bears in the park lately. One of them must've broken in looking for food and then some other animals foraged for what was left."

"Aw man!" Maru groaned. "I just ordered that food yesterday! That was supposed to last us until next month!"

"We can order more groceries." Cabbie assured. "Good news is we finally have the budget for it." That was true; since Jammer's promotion to superintendent, the firefighters found their budget increased greatly to give them the resources they need, i.e. food.

"Yeah, but Jammer won't be too pleased that we gotta send someone to go shopping again." Maru sighed.

"You just worry about making the grocery list." Sky assured, stepping into the kitchen and surveying what was left of the food. Luckily, it seemed like the fridge's contents were mostly intact. "You guys go about your business; I'll make us all breakfast."

"With what?" Dusty asked curiously.

"Whatever I can find." Sky shrugged, inspecting the carton of eggs. "If Sparky taught me anything, it was how to be a medic and how to cook with whatever you got. Now go on, shoo. I'll take care of this." The Air Attack team exchanged glances, but found no reason to argue. So they moved on with their morning routines while Sky rummaged around for ingredients to use. Only one of the dozen eggs didn't survive, and while most of the food was on the floor there were still some clean vegetables left. Carefully stepping over the mess, Sky brought the vegetables and eggs to the counter and cleared a space for her to work. She managed to find a large pan and set it to warm up on the stove. While she waited, she thoroughly cleaned the vegetables, whisked the eggs' innards into a frothy yellow mix, and cut up the vegetables to toss into the mixture. Then she poured it all in the pan to cook. She took the eggshells, righted the tipped over trashcan, and tossed them inside.

By the time everyone gathered back around the kitchen for breakfast, Sky emerged holding a pan full of veggie scrambled eggs for everyone. It was more egg than veggie, but it was good enough for the team as everyone ate.

"Not bad, kid." Maru admitted. "Not bad at all."

"Thanks." Sky looked proud, spooning more of her breakfast into her mouth. "What's the word on getting more groceries? I can only keep this up for so long."

"Jammer said it's gonna be a few days." Maru sighed. "You were right about the bear thing. All of the rangers are surveying the trails for the next few days to make sure the bears aren't coming too close to the campers and the campers are staying away from the bears. But that means we may have to wait a day or two for someone to be free enough to run to the store."

"We'll make it work." Blade assured. "We have in the past, we can now."

* * *

The Smokejumpers and Sky worked to clean up the mess of the eating area, carefully sorting out the food that could be salvaged and throwing out everything else. The animals that broke in must've been hungry, because there was barely anything left. But there was just enough for Sky to make everyone breakfast and dinner for the next few days. Lunch was either skipped or eaten down at the lodge café. Maru sometimes cooked, sharing with Sky recipes he learned from the years of bad budget and cheap groceries. He finally managed to get the grocery list down to Jammer and a couple of the rangers offered to take a drive to the next town for the food.

Blade went about his usual business on the base. He thought about going scouting for spot fires, but for some reason the thought of flying only made him irritable. There was a terrible churning in his stomach that just wouldn't go away, and Blade had to wonder if he somehow injured himself and didn't know it. After an hour of miserable meandering around the base, the fire chief decided he could stand to rest in his hanger for a while. Sky voiced her concerns, but Blade dismissed it as simply being tired and he disappeared into his hanger. Sky didn't know if she believed Blade, but decided to leave him alone for now.

An hour later, Sky decided to check on Blade and see if he was truly all right. Blade didn't often take naps, and when he did they were only for about twenty minutes, tops. Biting her lip a bit in concern, Sky raised her fist and knocked on the door of the hanger. She heard no response from inside. "Hey Blade?" She called. "You okay? You've been in there for a while." Sky still didn't hear anything for a moment, and she wondered if he went out scouting. Then she gasped softly at the sound of someone retching, and she hurriedly pulled the door to the hanger open. She looked inside and grimaced in disgust and sympathy. Blade stood near dead-center of the room, slumped down on his landing gear. On the ground below his mouth rested a small pile of yellow-brown vomit with chunks of…..something….in it. If vehicles could look pale, Sky would guess Blade would be right now. He cast her a look.

"Get Maru." Blade grumbled, sounding absolutely terrible.

Sky turned and sprinted off, practically dragging Maru back to the fire chief's hanger. Maru made a face at the sight of the vomit, but nonetheless cleaned it up and checked Blade out.

Maru took the thermometer out of Blade's mouth, the fire chief looking rather disgruntled over what was happening. Maru huffed. "100. Not too bad, but significant enough. Yep, I'm afraid you're sick, Chief."

Blade sighed. "Great." If there was one thing Blade absolutely hated, it was getting sick. Not only did it force him to sit out on his own job, it simply made him miserable. Blade's immune system was generally pretty strong, so the few times he ever _did_ get sick were pure torture for him.

"What could've happened to him?" Sky asked worriedly, placing a comforting hand on Blade's side. He definitely felt warm as his body fought whatever virus was inside him.

"No idea." Maru admitted. "What was the last thing ya ate, Blade?"

"That soup you made." Blade cast Maru a pointed glare. "What the heck did you put in that stuff?"

"Nothin'." Maru shrugged his forks. "It was just canned chicken noodle soup."

Sky narrowed her eyes. "It wasn't one of those cans of soup on the kitchen counter, was it?"

"Yeah, why?" Maru asked.

Sky face palmed. "Maru, those cans of soup were expired! Most of them went bad _last year_. I was going to find a can opener to empty them out and recycle the cans, but Dusty called for me to help him with a jam in his pontoon scoops. I must've left them on the counter."

"You fed me expired soup?" Blade growled.

"I didn't know it was expired!" Maru said defensively.

"Ever heard of reading the expiration date?!" Blade snapped. "If I didn't feel like hell right now, I'd kill you."

"You didn't feed that to the rest of the team, did you?" Sky demanded.

"No, I just made the one can for Blade because he can't cook to save his life." Maru said. He yelped when Blade growled again, and the forklift shot off before the fire chief could shout at him anymore.

Sky shook her head. "Well, the good news is it's just a bit of food poisoning. The bad news is you're going to be stuck in your hanger until it clears up."

"Wonderful." Blade droned sarcastically.

Sky patted his side. "Hey, just take it easy. Get some sleep; it'll help. And hopefully you won't throw up anymore."

Blade sighed, but settled down to hopefully sleep off his sickness. Sky left the hanger, quietly closing the doors and letting Blade rest. She sighed as she made her way down the path to the runway. She hated seeing someone she cared about so miserable, even from such a little thing like food poisoning. Clearly Blade wasn't exactly thrilled by staying in his hanger for even a few days. Depending on just how old that soup was, he could be in there longer. Sky glanced back towards the hanger, frowning in determination. Settling into her decision, she hurried off to the kitchen. She spied the cans of expired food and grabbed a large butcher knife from one of the drawers. It seemed almost barbaric, but if she waited to do it someone else could get sick and she couldn't find the can opener anywhere. So she stabbed the lids of the cans several times each, dumping out the expired food and tossing the cans in the recycling bins. Then she started rummaging into the cabinets for the herbs and spices. Finding very little of what she wanted, she hurried out the door again and made a beeline for Windlifter's hanger. Dusty moved out of her way, knowing better than to stop her.

Skylar Amelia Riley was a girl on a mission.

* * *

Blade wasn't sure how long he slept, but it didn't really matter. When he woke up, it was still daytime and he was still sick as a dog. It felt like someone kicked his stomach repeatedly, not giving him a moment's peace. But he fought to not throw up again. The sensation of upchucking one's stomach contents was one of the reasons Blade hated getting sick.

A soft knocking caught his attention, and Blade looked towards the hanger doors. "Come in."

Sky opened the doors, smiling. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"How do you think?" Blade grumbled.

Sky smiled sympathetically. "I think I have something to help with that."

Blade cast her a strange look. "What do you mean?"

Sky lifted up her hand to reveal a strange object in her palm. It was round in shape, looking like it was made from a variety of leaves, herbs, and other greenery, all stuck together with a little water. "It's a medicinal herb. Sparky taught me how to make it."

"So what do you want me to do with it?" Blade asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"You gotta eat it." Sky replied simply, stepping closer to Blade.

"No." Blade said bluntly.

Sky put a hand on her hip. "And why not?"

"Because I _hate_ taking medicine." Blade replied simply.

"Come on, it'll make you feel better a lot faster." Sky insisted, standing next to Blade's nose. "Sparky's had to use this on quite a few Jolly Wrenches who gave themselves a stomach bug. The fastest way for you to get better is to get that bug outta your stomach."

"Not happening." Blade huffed.

Sky rolled her eyes. "So you'd rather sit in your hanger all week and be sick instead of taking some medicine, be miserably ill for just a day, and be better in a few days?"

"Yes." Blade replied without hesitation.

"Blade August Ranger—"

"You know, I hate that Maru told you my full name."

"Irrelevant. Now open up."

"No."

"Blade."

The fire chief pursed his lips, intent on not putting the medicine in his mouth.

Sky narrowed her eyes. "Last chance, Blade. You either eat this willingly or I force feed you."

Blade narrowed his eyes back, and then stuck his nose up a little in defiance. Then, to his great surprise, Sky suddenly kicked his jaw. Not enough to leave a dent or a scratch, but plenty enough pain to shock Blade. He shouted in pain and irritation, and in a split-second Sky knelt down beside his nose and thrust her arm into his mouth, pushing the herb into the back of his mouth. Blade made a strange choking sound, going a little cross-eyed at the feeling of Sky's arm in his mouth. Good Ford did that herb taste awful; almost as bad as Sky's arm still on his tongue. Her skin tasted like a mix of sweat and the cherry blossom perfume she sometimes wore. Sky pulled her arm out and quickly slapped her hands over Blade's nose and jaw, keeping his mouth shut. Blade made muffled complaining noises, but Sky was firm.

"Swallow it, Blade." Sky ordered, matching his glare. "Swallow it." The two continued to glare at each other until Blade finally gulped, forcing the entire herb down his esophagus. Sky released his mouth, and he let out a sound of disgust as he stuck his tongue out. Mother of Dodge, that herb was just _disgusting!_ Sky, however, peered into Blade's mouth and nodded in satisfaction to see the entire herb gone. "There, see? Was that so hard?"

"Shut up." Blade growled. "Just tell me how long until this stuff starts to kick in."

"It'll only be a minute or so." Sky replied, moving to the doors of the hanger. "It's a pretty fast-acting herb; the ingredients will break out of their mold and start reacting when they hit the stomach acid. It'll neutralize any toxins and absorb the bad acid."

"And then what?" Blade asked.

Sky didn't answer for a minute, pulling a deep and wide pot from outside the doors and pushing it under Blade's nose. "Let's just say it's all gotta come out."

Blade caught on. "Skylar Amelia—"

"Bye!" Sky took off running, closing the hanger doors behind her. Blade opened his mouth to shout at her, but he felt that awful churning in his stomach again. After several tense seconds, Blade felt it all come up and he vomited into the pot.

"I'm gonna kill her." Blade grumbled.

* * *

Sky didn't return to the hanger until dinnertime, carrying a bowl of soup and some water. Most of the team sat around a small bonfire chatting happily, but Sky wanted to check on her "patient." She set the soup and water down before opening the doors to the hanger. She tentatively peered inside, half-expecting Blade to throw something at her head. Instead, she found him fast asleep right where she left him. She looked to the pot to find it half full of Blade's stomach contents. Sky smiled pitifully. _That couldn't have felt good coming up._ She silently crept over to the pot and dragged it outside, dumping the watery vomit over the edge of the platform and to the grass below. Leaving the pot behind, Sky picked up the soup and water and returned to the hanger's interior. Blade had woken up, staring at Sky with a disgruntled expression.

"Hey. How do you feel now?" Sky asked with a small smile. Blade didn't answer, and if Sky didn't know any better she would've thought she saw him pouting. She set the soup and water down again, walking over to Blade and pressing her hand to his side, close to his eyes. "Hmm. You're still a little feverish. But hey, that means you're getting better a lot faster than I thought you would. That's good."

Blade mumbled something incoherent. Something along the lines of "Yeah, whatever."

Sky giggled softly. "Here. Drink up." She pushed the soup and water closer to Blade, each of the bowls having a straw stuck in it. Blade cast her a look. "Relax. It's just a light tomato soup and water. You need something in your stomach to help it settle. Be grateful I'm not spoon-feeding you; I figured you needed _some_ sense of dignity."

Blade rolled his eyes. But for the first time all day the smell of food actually made him hungry. He begrudgingly and tentatively took a sip of the soup. It was good. It was really good. Blade continued to drink, going slowly to make sure he didn't get another relapse of vomiting. Sky sat cross-legged on the ground beside him, watching him eat. She seemed rather attentive, ready to spring into action. Blade realized she wasn't going to leave him alone, but he found he rather liked her company right now despite his previous irritation. He took a couple swallows of water, feeling his stomach settle. The helicopter and the human sat in silence for a while.

"Where'd you learn so much about medicine?" Blade finally asked.

"Sparky." Sky replied. "You know, he's the medic who adopted me along with Skipper. He learned a lot about medicine, especially natural remedies. Anything to help the Jolly Wrenches while on missions."

"And he taught you all of it?" Blade looked surprised and impressed.

"I asked him to." Sky shrugged. "I wanted to know all that I could should I ever need it. I've had to help quite a few of my friends with their sickness spells in the past."

"He did all that, _and_ he taught you how to cook?" Blade asked.

"Why so surprised?" Sky asked, laughing.

"Well, that seems like something your mother would…." Blade paused. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"Nah, it's okay." Sky shrugged. "Sometimes even I forget I was once an orphan."

Blade stared at Sky. She didn't exactly seem affected by the mention of her parents, so Blade tried his luck. "Be honest with me: did your parents really abandon you? Just because you're a psyche human?"

"Yep." Sky nodded. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"It's just hard to understand, I guess." Blade said. "I can't understand why they would abandon you just because of how you were born. It wasn't your fault or their fault or anyone's fault. And nobody ever said it was a problem. How could they just leave you?"

Sky shrugged a little, staring at the ground. "I dunno. I guess they don't like psyche humans."

"But they gave up their chance to raise a pretty amazing person." Blade said, noticing Sky's demeanor begin to change. Sky slouched a bit, still staring at the ground. She shifted a little to not directly face him anymore. Blade looked down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be prying."

"No, no it's okay." Sky assured. The two of them were silent for a while. Blade drank more of the water, his soup abandoned. He glanced to Sky, noticing she was fiddling with her raven hair; it was an action Blade recognized as something Sky did when she thought really hard about something.

Blade rolled a few inches closer to the girl. "Sky?"

Sky didn't say anything for a moment. "Did you know that orphan children aren't allowed to search for their birth parents until they're eighteen? That rule used to really bug me; why did I have to wait so long? But there was nothing I could do. I didn't think too much about it for a while. But after Dusty and I won the Wings Around the Globe Rally, I started thinking about my birth parents again. Were they watching the rally? Did they see me and Dusty win? What were they thinking? I still couldn't do anything for another year, but when I finally turned eighteen I asked Sparky and Skipper to help me track down my parents. I wanted to show them what they missed out on when they gave me up. I wanted to show them that they abandoned a girl who turned out to be pretty amazing. Sparky was able to help me find out where my parents lived, and Dusty took me to go see them. I was planning to approach them alone, to show them the brave and strong young woman they gave up on.

"When I found them, they were at an amphitheater attending a high school graduation. At first, I thought they were there to celebrate the graduation of a friend's kid. But I was wrong; they were there celebrating the high school graduation of their new, non-psyche human daughter. They had moved on a long time ago. Their new daughter was barely a year younger than me. That means, after they gave me up, they immediately started trying for another daughter. Another _normal_ daughter. And they got it. Anything and everything I was going to say to them seemed so meaningless. I didn't bother confronting them. What was the point? They clearly looked happy with their new life without me in it. What right did I have to bug them if they were so happy?

"Dusty didn't question me when I told him we were leaving. We never spoke about the incident, and I never went looking for my parents again." Sky was glaring now, her fists clenched. "After our win at the Wings Around the Globe Rally, I thought for sure my parents would come crawling back to me, begging for forgiveness or trying to get some credit by reclaiming me as their daughter. They didn't. But…I actually _wanted_ them to. I wanted to see them come crawling back, just so I could shoot them down and discredit them as my family. I wanted to see the defeated looks on their faces when I abandoned them like they abandoned me. I wanted nothing more than to show them the consequences of giving me up." Sky sighed, as though in defeat, and her fists unclenched. "I know, that sounds so petty and stupid."

"No, not at all." Blade assured. "You just wanted justice. You wanted them to know how you felt. It's understandable. I can't imagine being shunned just for being yourself."

Sky closed her eyes in painful remembrance. "It's not a good feeling."

"Then don't think about it." Blade said. "Who cares about your birth parents? How can you even call them your parents anymore? When they gave you up, they gave up every right to call you their daughter." Sky didn't answer, opening her eyes just to continue staring at the ground. Blade moved a little closer, his nose mere inches from Sky. "You haven't let that bring you down. Maybe your life in that orphanage wasn't perfect, but look at how your life has turned out. You still have a family. Think about Skipper and Sparky and everyone in Propwash Junction. They're your family. And you know what? You have an entire team of firefighters ready to help you with anything you need. They're your family too." Blade looked down a bit, but allowed himself to smile softly at Sky. "You have me, Sky. You're my Soul Connect partner. I'll be your family." Sky still didn't look at him, but she was starting to turn her head towards him. "Sky. _Raven._ " Now Sky looked up at her nickname, and she locked her eyes with Blade's. The fire chief continued to smile warmly at her. "I'm not going to leave you alone with your pain. You don't deserve that."

Sky sighed, looking down. Blade moved forward and nuzzled her head, and she leaned into his touch.

After a few days, Blade was back to normal and fighting wildfires with his team. Sky was with him for every flight, per the usual. As she walked around the base, she couldn't help but think to what Blade told her before. She looked around, taking a mental inventory of everyone on the base.

Windlifter. The wise and watchful eye of the base.

Maru. Sarcastic and snarky, kind of like Sky herself.

Dusty. Her racing partner. The one who never gave up on her.

Dipper. The one who always knew how to make Sky smile.

Cabbie. Tough he may be, he definitely had a soft spot for the Honorary Jolly Wrench human.

The Smokejumpers. The wild ones, yet loyal to their cores.

Patch. Always open to talk.

Blade. Her Soul Connect partner. Her friend. Her family.

Sky smiled warmly. _Boy am I lucky girl._


	4. Anniversary

**Anniversary**

It seemed like a normal day of firefighting at Piston Peak. Dusty and Sky assisted the team in putting out several fires and even a search and rescue operation. When they didn't work, they mostly hung out around the base and talked with their friends. Business as usual.

So when Blade announced to Sky one morning that he would be leaving for a trip to Los Angeles for the day, Sky became rather confused. "All day?"

"I have some business to take care of." Blade explained, beginning to make his way to the door. "It's…..sort of an annual family reunion."

"Cool!" Sky said excitedly, finally finishing with her hair braiding. "Can I come?"

"Don't you have a job to do here?" Blade asked, an eye frame raised.

"Don't I usually do my job when I'm with you?" Sky countered. "Come on, please? I've never been to L.A. before."

Blade regarded her for a moment before sighing. "All right. Let's go."

"Yes!" Sky cheered, grabbing her small backpack from the corner and following Blade out the door to the hanger and out towards the runway. "Bye Dusty!" Sky called. "I'm going to L.A.!"

"Bring me back a souvenir, would ya?" Duty called. He wondered why Sky would be going with Blade at first, but he long since learned to just go with it.

Sky nodded to Dusty's request and hopped into Blade's hoist hatch. Blade started up his rotors and took off, heading south.

It took about two hours to fly to Los Angeles, and the second Blade landed and opened his hoist hatch Sky jumped out to stretch her legs.

"Yeesh, I forgot how sleepy my legs get when I'm riding you or Dusty for so long." Sky groaned, stretching her back a bit. "So where to?"

"I'm going to finish my family business." Blade said. "You go busy yourself and stay safe. We'll meet up in a few hours."

"I can't come with you?" Sky asked innocently.

"This is personal, Raven. Better if I go alone." Blade explained kindly. "You go on. Explore a bit. There's a shopping center down the road there."

Sky rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Blade. You know I'm not _that_ girly."

"There's a bookstore." Blade added.

"BOOOOOOOOKS!" Sky squealed, taking off down the street.

Blade watched her go, chuckling. "Skipper was right. Works every time."

STAR

Sky mentally kicked herself for letting herself get tricked like that; and because apparently Skipper told Blade her biggest weakness. When she left the bookstore, she carried a paper bag with about five books she found and decided she couldn't live without. Also in the bag rested a small snow globe for Dusty; the souvenir she promised him.

"One of these days, I'm going to have to open my own personal library." Sky laughed to herself. She looked to her phone for the time. "It's been about two hours. Wonder where Blade is." She looked around, wondering if she should pull her radio from her backpack and call him. But if he was in the middle of his "family business," she didn't want to interrupt. So Sky began looking around for another store to go into.

But she paused when she noticed a flower shop just ahead. What really caught her attention was the sight of a familiar AgustaWestland emerging from the shop. Sky ducked down behind a lamppost, watching Blade exit the shop and look around a bit, as though making sure nobody followed him. Then he continued down the road and out of the shopping district. Sky watched him go, confused.

 _What was Blade doing in a flower shop? That doesn't look like family business. If it was, wouldn't his family be with him?_ Sky began following Blade, keeping a good distance away so he wouldn't see her coming. _What could he need flowers for? Unless he's going on a date. Is he?_ Sky's eyes widened, and she smiled. _Of course! Family business? That was just an excuse to keep everyone off his tail! He's gotta be going on a date with someone!_ Sky smirked craftily. _Oh Blade. Did you really think you could hide that from me?_

Sky's curiosity only grew and grew as she stealthily followed Blade. What did this mysterious girlfriend look like? Did Blade know her from _"CHoPs"_? How long had they been in a relationship? More importantly, why had Blade kept her a secret? Well, Sky supposed Maru would never leave Blade alone about it if he knew the rough and tough Piston Peak Air Attack Chief had a lady friend. But Sky wanted to meet her. She wouldn't let Blade live this down, but she could be more subtle with her jabs.

Blade journeyed far from the hustle and bustle of L.A. to the quieter neighborhoods outside of town. Sky continued to follow him, wondering where this supposed date could be. But all her expectations shattered like a glass cup hitting a hardwood floor when Blade came to the gates of a cemetery and rolled right in. Sky knelt down beside the brick supports of the gate, watching Blade drive in very purposefully, as though he had been here many times before. Sky carefully followed and ducked down behind a tree, peering out as Blade approached another helicopter in the cemetery. Oddly enough, this other helicopter, colored crimson red on white, looked like a Hughes 500D. Just like…

"She looks like Nick." Sky murmured. She tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and cocked her head a bit to better hear the conversation.

" _Hola_ Mrs. Lopez." Blade greeted. Sky did her best not to gasp, her eyes wide when she realized this other helicopter truly must've been Nick Loopin' Lopez's mother.

The smaller helicopter looked over, her hazel eyes sparkling with warmth as she smiled. "Blade August Ranger, as I live and breathe." She said, her voice heavily accented with Latina dialect. "It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you too." Blade said.

"You're just in time." Mrs. Lopez said. "I just finished cleaning. You're all clear to take over."

"Thanks." Blade nodded. "Didn't think I'd run into you. Usually you're gone by the time I get here."

"I wanted to wait." Mrs. Lopez said. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." She looked to Blade, still smiling comfortingly. "Are you okay, _mi querido_?"

Blade looked down, feeling a pang of hurtful nostalgia at the fond, motherly tone Mrs. Lopez took on. She always did like to view Blade as one of her own, even to the point where she called Blade's mother her sister. Blade sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay, Mrs. Lopez."

Mrs. Lopez scoffed. "I thought I told you to call me _Tia_ Maria. You're family, Blade. You know that."

Blade didn't look at her, staring at the headstone before them. "I know. I know that."

Silence.

"How's Ben?" Blade asked.

"Oh, irritable as ever." Mrs. Lopez sighed. "Neglected to come because he knew you'd be here. But don't let that get to you, _sobrino._ He never liked you, remember?"

"I don't care anymore." Blade assured. "I never needed to care."

Mrs. Lopez analyzed Blade for a moment. "You seem different this year. You used to cry an awful lot when you did this before. What's different this year?"

Blade thought about it. What had changed since last year when he did this? The only thing that really changed was Dusty and Sky coming to Piston Peak and learning about….of course, the Soul Connection. Sky was really the only thing that changed. His heart shattered to pieces when Nick died, but he supposed Sky helped him stitch some of it together again. But could he tell that to Mrs. Lopez right now?

"Just…found something new to hold onto, I guess." Blade said.

Mrs. Lopez smiled knowingly. "You really should come to my house sometime for dinner. I don't know what you eat up at that firefighting base, but you could use a good, home-cooked meal now and then."

Blade smiled softly. "Thank you, Mrs…erm… _Tia_ Maria."

Mrs. Lopez nodded, as though in satisfaction, and turned to hop off and return home. Blade waited until she disappeared before returning his attention to the headstone in front of him. He couldn't focus on the dates but rather the other inscriptions:

 _Nick "Loopin'" Lopez  
Brother, son, friend  
Lost but never forgotten_

Blade opened his hoist hatch, an amber-colored marigold resting in his hoist hook. He swung the hook around carefully and lowered the flower to the stone base the headstone rested on. He reeled in the hoist and closed the door, staring at the marigold. For as long as Blade could remember, Nick always loved the marigold. For one, it reminded him of his favorite holiday: Day of the Dead. The other reason: it was the only flower Nick could find that closely resembled his eyes (usually). It seemed odd for Nick to love a flower so dearly, but the marigold was his favorite, and nobody could doubt it. As a joke, Blade once made a crown of marigolds and put in on Nick's head while he slept. When Nick woke up, he paraded around the _"CHoPs"_ set like a king, wearing the flower crown proudly.

Blade felt another round of pain as memories engulfed him. He blinked, but the tears in his eyes forced their way out. He sighed raggedly, staring at Nick's headstone. The words "Lost but never forgotten" seemed to mock him.

Lost but never forgotten.

Lost, never forgotten.

Lost.

Lost.

 _Lost._

"I'm sorry, Nick." Blade whispered. "I'm sorry, all right? I should've done something and I just…." It's not that he didn't. It's that he couldn't. He couldn't do anything because he didn't know how to help. That one moment, the moment his best friend slipped away while he could only watch, haunted him to this day. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He tentatively rolled forward and gave the headstone a gentle nuzzle. But the hard stone only scratched him, and he struggled to hold back another round of tears.

Sky found she couldn't watch anymore. She turned and leaned against the tree she hid behind, sliding to the ground and hugging her knees. Tears silently streamed down her face. She both hated and was thankful she found out about this. She couldn't let this go on. Ever since discovering her Soul Connection with Blade and finding out about Nick's fate, Sky made it her mission to help Blade let go of the pain he felt the day he lost his best friend. She thought she made progress, but now it seemed she hadn't helped Blade at all. He still blamed himself, and he allowed himself to feel guilty over what happened. Sky looked out and watched Blade for a while, noticing how he seemed to calm down slowly but surely. When he began departing from the graveyard, his tears since stopped and he had his normal stern glare in his eyes. Sky watched him leave.

Once Blade disappeared, Sky rose from her spot and made her way to Nick's headstone. She knelt down in front of it, staring at the writing in the stone. She glanced to the marigold Blade left, and she rummaged around in her bag of books from the store. She pulled out a couple paper bookmarks the lady at the checkout counter gave her, looking through each one and finding the perfect one: black in color, with a deep red rose and white lettering that wrote out "Love is both beautiful and deadly." Sky lifted up a small rock from the grass and set the bookmark next to the marigold, using the rock to keep the paper down. Sky stared at the headstone for a moment.

"Love is both beautiful and deadly."

 _It's true._ Sky thought. _Love can build relationships and families. It can make you feel so happy. But then you lose it and you feel like you can't breathe. I bet Blade feels that way a lot._ She glanced in the direction Blade left, wondering how long he held this annual tradition of visiting Nick's grave. She didn't want him to feel bad about what happened, but isn't it still good that he's doing what he can to remember Nick and the memories they shared? Sky wanted Blade to let go of his pain, but he couldn't let go of his best friend.

"All right, Blade." Sky nodded, patting Nick's headstone. "I'll let you have this."

STAR

Blade searched the bookstore for maybe half an hour before he finally found Sky sitting at the café inside the store. He came over and found her reading one of her new books. "Hey Raven! You ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure!" Sky nodded, smiling. She put her books away in her bag and followed Blade outside to find a place to take off.

"You enjoy yourself?" Blade asked.

"Yeah!" Sky nodded happily. "You have fun with your family?"

"Yes, thank you." Blade nodded.

Sky could see Blade definitely seemed happier than he looked back at the cemetery. _I'm still here for you, Blade. I hope you always know that._ "Hey, you think I could come with you next year?"

Blade glanced to her and grinned a bit. "I don't see why not. You seem to enjoy yourself in that store."

"It's full of books. Why wouldn't I?" Sky shrugged.


	5. Thirteen Part 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I left this story un-updated for a while. I'm in a very busy and semi-stressful time of my life right now. But I hope you enjoy this next story! It's Harley-centric and is going to bring quite a bit of drama!**

* * *

 **Thirteen – Part One**

The sound of the reveille rang out over the town of Radiator Springs, soon followed by the sound of _Star Spangled Banner_ being played on an electric guitar.

"Will you turn that disrespectful junk off?!"

"Respect the classics, man! It's Hendrix!"

Harley giggled as she opened her eyes, yawning and stretching. She grabbed her glasses and slid them on as she jumped off her bed, changing into her usual denim shorts, T-shirt, and skates. Giving her hair and teeth a quick brushing, she skated off to the kitchen. Her father already waited there, reading a newspaper over a cup of coffee.

"Morning, Daddy!" Harley greeted warmly, pulling out a loaf of bread for toast.

"Good morning. Sleep well?" Doc asked with a warm grin.

"Yep!" Harley nodded happily. She seemed to be in an especially cheery mood today. "What about you?"

"Quite well, thank you." Doc nodded, watching with almost fascination as Harley smeared peanut butter on her toast, poured herself some milk, and plopped down at the table to eat. "Any special plans for the day?"

"I promised Red I would help him organize the fire house." Harley announced, her mouth muffled from the toast and peanut butter. "Then I'm goin' to hang out with Mater and Speed Racer."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Doc scolded softly, smirking. Harley grinned sheepishly and took a few swigs of milk. "I myself am planning a rather relaxing day, should nobody get injured."

"That's always nice." Harley bobbed her head in agreement. She quickly finished her breakfast, gave her father a hug, and skated off to find Red. Doc chuckled softly as he watched her go, folding his newspaper and driving out to the clinic area of the house.

It had been over a year since Lightning McQueen's first arrival to Radiator Springs. Since then, the town had seen a boom in business. It was rather exciting at first, but the residents soon melted into the new scenario like second nature. After years of feeling like they were part of a ghost town, it felt rather nice to have customers coming in regularly. They owed it to Lightning, who long since felt like part of the family. Lightning and Mack, who moved into Radiator Springs soon after the Piston Cup tiebreaker race, found they liked living in the Arizona town. Mack and Harley got to know each other better, and Mack became putty in the girl's hands. Everything seemed perfect, especially for the human girl.

But it seemed that, at least eight out of ten times, something bad happens right when things are best. This happened to be one of those times.

Sometime after lunch, Doc journeyed out to Flo's café to get some fresh air. He ordered some oil and soon found Sheriff rolling up beside him. The elder Hornet gave a nod in greeting. "Sheriff."

"Afternoon, Doc." Sheriff returned the gesture. He glanced out to the road and narrowed his eyes a bit, his lips falling into a small frown. "Hey, you see those two out there?"

Doc was about to ask (in a snarky tone) what Sheriff meant, but when he looked he realized Sheriff didn't need to specify. A forklift and a human entered the town, walking alongside the road. The forklift was sky blue in color, with soft brown eyes and black lines over her top eyelids to indicate a female. She carried a briefcase in one of her tines. The human beside her wore a crisp, navy blue business skirt and jacket with a white polo underneath, her bottle blonde hair pulled into a neat ballet bun and her piercing hazel eyes scanned the area around her. In fact, both women looked all around as though they searched for something.

"Is it just me or do those two seem like they're here for more than just souvenirs?" Sheriff noted.

"Indeed." Doc nodded. He and Sheriff exchanged looks before driving towards the pair, trying to look pleasant. The forklift and human woman paused as the two cars approached them. Doc put on a smile. "Hello there. Welcome to Radiator Springs. Can we help you find something?"

"I certainly hope so." The forklift replied kindly. "My name is Sarah Carter and this is Jennifer Johnson. We're looking for a young human girl named Harley."

Sheriff and Doc tensed. "And to what does Harley owe the pleasure?" Sheriff asked, trying and half-failing to keep a civil tone.

"We are social workers with the State of Arizona." Jennifer replied, looking rather bored with the conversation. "My assistant and I are here to evaluate the case of Harley Jacobs-Davidson. But that's really none of your business, so if you could just take us to the girl—"

"It _is_ our business on account of that's _my_ daughter you're talkin' about." Doc interrupted with a small glare.

Sarah and Jennifer blinked in surprise, and the latter sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh I see. _You're_ Paul Hudson."

"Indeed." Doc confirmed. "Now what do you want with my daughter?"

"It has come to our attention that Ms. Jacobs is now thirteen years old." Jennifer said, crossing her arms and glaring a bit at the cars before her. "This puts her at a critical stage in a child's development. What concerns me is that the girl was raised by vehicles after her parents' deaths."

"What's so concernin' about it?" Sheriff half-demanded.

"Orphan children need to be raised by their own kind to prevent any improper development of their mentality." Jennifer spoke as though what she said were obvious. Her assistant had gone silent, looking everywhere except towards Doc and Sheriff. "We are here to evaluate Ms. Jacobs' behavior to determine if a relocation is necessary."

"Relocation?" Sheriff repeated in disbelief.

"Relocation of what?" Sally asked, driving by the quartet but pausing to come over to them.

"Ms. Johnson here thinks Harley believes she's a car." Sheriff said, glaring at Jennifer.

"That's ridiculous!" Sally scoffed. "She still acts like any normal 13-year-old girl."

"The issue is whether or not she acts like a _human_ 13-year-old girl, which will be resolved through my personal evaluation." Jennifer said.

"Harley will pass any test you have for her." Doc said confidently. "But at the moment she is out with her friends. Why don't you check in at the motel and we'll contact you when she returns."

Jennifer looked like she wanted to argue, but decided against it. She only huffed as she and her forklift assistant followed Sally towards the Cozy Cone. Sheriff and Doc watched them go before the police cruiser looked to the doctor. "You sure about this, Doc? Folks like her are just trouble."

"Harley will be fine." Doc assured. "Besides, we may not have a choice anyway. No doubt she has a court-sanctioned warrant giving her the right to issue the evaluation."

Sheriff sighed. "I don' like this, Doc. Not one bit."

Doc sighed too. "Me either."

* * *

Harley returned from her drive with Mater and Lightning a couple hours later, talking with the vehicle duo happily. Sheriff surprised them when he approached, announcing to Harley she had visitors. Harley just shrugged, bid Mater and Lightning farewell, and followed Sheriff to the Cozy Cone. She was rather confused when Jennifer and Sarah introduced themselves as social workers, not exactly sure what that meant until Sarah kindly explained they were there for Harley's wellbeing. It still didn't clear much up, but she smiled and agreed to talk to the women. Sheriff left, but not before warning Sally to come get him should she feel it necessary.

"I don't like this, man." Fillmore sighed.

"For once, I can actually agree with you." Sarge nodded. "This entire situation is ridiculous."

"It _is_ ridiculous, but there's nothing we can do." Doc reminded the residents as they talked at Flo's café. Business was rather slow as the day came to an end. "We can only wait until Harley is done talking with them."

"She's not going to be sent away, right?" Lightning asked worriedly.

"Of course not!" Mater said firmly. "Right?"

"Harley is staying in Radiator Springs, where she belongs." Sheriff assured. "There's nothing that social worker can say or do to change that." The other residents agreed. With how Harley acted, there wasn't any way the social worker could twist her words around to make it seem like she didn't act like a normal human child. Still, Doc felt a twinge of nervousness, wondering what tricks this social worker might have up her sleeve.

In the Cozy Cone, Jennifer sat in a desk chair while Sarah parked beside her, Harley sitting on the bed across from them. Jennifer and Sarah each had a notebook and pen ready.

"We're just going to ask some simple questions, and you have to answer honestly, all right?" Sarah told Harley, smiling. Harley decided she liked the forklift better, seeing how the human woman kept staring at her as though she were a lab rat.

"Yes, ma'am." Harley nodded, remembering her manners.

The two social workers were already scribbling away on their notepads. "At what age did you become an orphan?" Sarah asked.

"Four." Harley replied.

"Circumstances of your situation? I mean, what happened?" Sarah asked.

"Um….my parents…..were killed in a fire." Harley shifted a bit, hoping this talk didn't cause another nightmare.

"Oh. I'm so sorry." Sarah said with a soft smile.

"When were you admitted to Paul Hudson's custody?" Jennifer asked, looking unfazed by Harley's revelation about her parents.

Harley's face scrunched up a bit in confusion. "Uh….Dad took me in soon after the fire."

Jennifer wrote more on her notepad. "Those skates you're wearing, why do you have them on?"

"I wear them almost every day." Harley shrugged, looking to her skates. "Luigi and Guido made them for me."

"Do you have normal shoes?" Jennifer asked.

"Well yeah." Harley nodded. "But it's kinda hard to keep up with everyone in normal shoes, so I wear my skates to go as fast as everyone."

"That's a pretty legitimate reason to wear them." Sarah noted, mostly to Jennifer.

The blonde woman either didn't hear her assistant or ignored her. "Have you ever tried to mimic the behavior of your surrogate father?"

"Uh, not really." Harley shrugged, wishing Jennifer would stop staring at her with those hard hazel eyes.

"You've never tried to make car sounds?" Jennifer clarified.

"Well, I do carry an air horn." Harley showed the social workers said horn. "I can't honk on my own, so sometimes I use this. I've scared Mater a couple times with it." She giggled furiously, but it died down when Jennifer narrowed her eyes a bit and wrote something down on her notepad. The constant scribbling was beginning to unnerve Harley.

"Have you had much contact with other humans?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah." Harley nodded. "We get human customers coming through town quite a lot nowadays."

"How is your diet? What are you normally consuming?" Jennifer asked.

"Food." Harley shrugged. "You know, stuff from the basic food groups. And candy when Daddy lets me."

"Have you ever consumed gasoline, oil, or any other vehicular fuel?" Jennifer asked.

Harley laughed a little. "Actually, there was this one time I tried Fillmore's organic fuel. I wanted to know what was so great about it. I spit it out, of course, so I can only hope everyone else likes it." She stopped laughing when Jennifer started scribbling furiously across her notepad. "Uh, but you know, I was only three at the time. And I didn't swallow any, honest."

"Of course." Jennifer said dismissively. The scratching sound of the pen on paper made Harley's skin crawl. "Have you ever gone to a doctor requesting a tire change?"

"Say what now?" Harley raised an eyebrow.

"Jennifer!" Sarah looked to her boss. "What kind of question is that?"

"A legitimate one." Jennifer assured. "Ms. Jacobs, have you ever considered yourself a car?"

"What?!" Harley snapped, the specificity of Jennifer's questions surprising her. It was starting to feel more and more like the social worker was trying to lead her on.

 _Knock knock knock_

"Harley!" Sally's voice called from outside. "Your dad's calling for you. It's time for dinner!"

 _Saved by the Porsche._ Harley held back a relieved sigh. "Coming!"

"Um, we actually have a few more questions for you." Sarah piped up.

"Actually, we're done here." Jennifer said, smiling at Harley. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Jacobs-Davidson."

Harley stared at Jennifer, the woman's faux sweet smile unsettling the girl. But she nodded and hurried to the door, slipping outside and shutting the door behind her. "Thanks for the save." She told Sally as the Porsche escorted her to Flo's.

"No problem." Sally assured. "I didn't like how she was talking to you."

"Harley!" Mater called as the pair arrived at the café. The other Radiator Springs residents were there, all of them asking a hundred questions at once until Doc could order them all to be quiet.

"I'm fine, really." Harley assured as she sat beside Doc, Flo bringing her some soup for her dinner. "But what was that all about? Who are those two?"

"Social workers." Sheriff explained. "They look out for the wellbeing of orphaned children."

"But I'm already adopted." Harley protested. "Can't they go bother someone else?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about." Doc assured. "Those two just think that you need to be living with humans otherwise you'll think you're a car."

Harley barked a laugh. "Are you serious? That's so ridiculous! I know I'm a human. We don't even look alike. How could I think I'm a car?"

"There are some cases of a child believing they're something they're not because of who they were raised by." Doc explained. "But I adopted you when you were plenty old enough to know the difference between human and vehicle."

"Exactly." Harley nodded. "So there's no need to take me away."

"That's right." Doc nodded. "Now finish your dinner before it gets cold." Harley giggled, spooning more of her soup into her mouth. The rest of the residents relaxed, happy everything seemed resolved.

* * *

The next day, Doc saw Harley off to her next adventure (today it was Job Shadow Sheriff at His Post Day), and went about his usual business in the clinic, making sure everything was organized should a patient come in. The town was rather quiet today, with few customers coming through, but it never hurt to be prepared. He did this most every day, but was surprised when the doors to the clinic suddenly burst open and Sally appeared in the doorway, panting.

"Sally?" Doc blinked in surprise. "What's wrong?"

Sally finally managed to catch her breath. "It's the social worker. She's going to take Harley."

Doc's eyes widened. "What?!" His tires screamed as he shot forward, Sally barely having enough time to get out of the way. Doc raced towards the Cozy Cone, only to halt mere feet from Jennifer.

"Ah, Dr. Hudson, I was just on my way to find you." Jennifer's tone held a hint of smug confidence. "Please inform Ms. Jacobs-Davidson she will need to have her things packed by tomorrow."

"And _why_ is such action necessary?" Doc growled.

Jennifer smirked. "Because I am filing a warrant to reclaim the girl and put her up for adoption. So she can adopted by a _human_ family."

"You can't do that!" Doc snapped.

"I certainly can." Jennifer assured. "After interviewing Ms. Jacobs yesterday, I have determined she will need to be relocated for the sake of her mental stability."

"Her mental stability is fine!" Lightning's voice snapped, and Doc reversed to see the rest of the town had come up behind him, intent on joining the fight.

"Yeah, she's fine!" Mater agreed.

"Not from what I witnessed." Jennifer argued.

"You didn't _witness_ anything!" Sarge snapped. "All you did was ask a bunch of questions that probably confused the poor girl!"

"Yeah, man." Ramone huffed. "Not cool."

"Your interview cannot be the sole basis of your warrant." Sally said. "You're going to have to bring up a lot more proof than that to show that Harley's mental stability is in jeopardy."

"I can bring up plenty more." Jennifer assured.

"You better hope so." Doc said. "You'll need it in the courtroom."

Jennifer scoffed in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"I will fight to keep Harley with me and in this town." Doc declared. "She belongs in Radiator Springs, and if a court battle keeps her here, so be it."

"Really?" Jennifer chided. "You want what's best for her, yet you'd be willing to drag the poor girl through a trial? Which, by the way, will still require her to leave Radiator Springs until the end of said trial."

"She ain't as weak or stupid as you think." Doc growled. "She knows what she wants and what's best for her. She's told me time and time again that she doesn't want to leave Radiator Springs, and I know she's brave enough to face a court battle if it means she can stay."

Jennifer sneered, looking rather irritated by the determination of the vehicles before her. "Fine. If that's the way you want it, so be it." She turned on her heel and marched back towards the Cozy Cone. "See you all in court."

"You better believe it!" Mater shouted, a shout of agreement rising from the Radiator Springs residents.

* * *

In the following week, there was much tension. Harley was still required to leave her home with Doc to avoid any conflicts, but Doc was able to work out a deal with Jennifer to allow Harley to stay in Radiator Springs. So it was decided that the girl would stay in Sarah's room at the Cozy Cone for the duration of the trial. The brunette didn't like it, not one bit. But she couldn't argue for the sake of keeping Doc out of trouble. So she packed some clothes, toiletries, books, and a few toys into a duffel bag and moved into her temporary home at the Cozy Cone. Sarah was kind and gentle with Harley, but all the girl wanted to think about was when she could finally return to her home with Doc. The case was technically against the entire town of Radiator Springs, but since that included and mainly focused on Doc, he couldn't preside over the case as judge. So an Arizona State judge was invited out to oversee the court proceedings. Jennifer also invited an old friend of hers to serve as her attorney. Sally offered to be the attorney for Doc and the entire town of Radiator Springs. While Doc considered being his own attorney, he couldn't deny he would rather have Sally there for legal and moral support. The entire town was shut down for the trial, but several reporters arrived to witness the event. Lightning spoke to the press about what was happening, not revealing too many details but making it clear he was going to hold off on any racing until the trial was over.

Then came the day of the trial. Doc and Sally made their way to the courthouse, ready for what was about to happen. At least they hoped so. Doc had never been in court unless he was the judge presiding the case, so this was rather new to him. But he had to stay focused; if Sally could turn opinions in her favor so easily, what would this social worker do?

Doc and Sally entered the courthouse and noticed two familiar figures at the end of the hallway. Harley stood with Sarah, the forklift talking to the girl about what would happen in the courtroom. For once, Harley didn't dress in her shorts, T-shirt, and roller skates. Instead, she wore the only pieces of formal attire she owned: a long black skirt, white ballet flats, a frilly white blouse, and a black vest. It greatly contrasted with her cobalt-streaked brunette hair, currently pulled back in a teeny tiny ponytail.

Harley turned when the doors swung shut, and she smiled broadly. "Daddy!" She moved to run towards him, but Sarah held her back. She whispered something to the girl, and Harley's face fell. She stared at Doc, even when Sarah gently led her away to a nearby conference room. Harley craned her neck a bit to look at Doc until she disappeared into the room, as though afraid it was the last time she would ever see her adoptive father. Doc stared after her. Every bit of his father side screamed at him to rush over to her, but his doctor/judge side reminded him to stay back so to not breach the agreement with Jennifer. Harley hadn't seen Doc for a week, and no doubt the stress weighed heavily on the girl. No matter how strong Harley was, being forced away from her family hit her hard.

"Doc, it'll be okay." Sally assured with a smile.

Doc looked to the baby blue Porsche and smiled. "Right. Let's get in there and get my daughter back."

Though most everyone expected it, there was some surprise when Sally and Doc entered the courtroom and found it completely packed. The entire town of Radiator Springs was there, but what really filled up the space was the reporters and several other spectators there to watch the proceedings. Sheriff stood near the judge's podium, serving as the court bailiff considering he was the only police officer in a hundred miles and nobody else had the time to commit to the trial. Jennifer stood at the prosecution bench, a dark purple Cadillac beside her. Jennifer cast a look to Doc and Sally as they drove to the defense bench, and the blonde woman smirked before returning to her talk with her attorney. Sally and Doc glared, but said nothing. The audience in the courtroom were all abuzz, wondering what would happen. Most of all, the Radiator Springs residents just hoped to get this over with quickly so things could go back to normal and, more importantly, Harley could go home.

"Attention!" Sheriff called, quieting the chatter in the room. "All rise. The Honorable Judge Victor Taran presiding." Everyone stood up straighter as a dark brown Grand Vitara entered the courtroom and rolled to the judge's podium. His warm cocoa eyes gave the room a once-over before he spoke.

"You may all be seated. This is the case of _State vs. Radiator Springs_ , in the matter of Dr. Paul Hudson." Judge Taran's voice had a slight edge to it, hinting his age to be closer to Doc's or Sheriff's. "This trial is to determine whether or not Dr. Hudson can be permitted further custody of Harley Jacobs-Davidson, an orphan who has resided in the town of Radiator Springs, Arizona, for the past thirteen years. The prosecution may give her opening statement."

"Thank you, Your Honor." The purple Cadillac beside Jennifer said. "If it pleases the court, my name is Laura Cadel and I am the attorney representing Jennifer Johnson, a social worker for the State of Arizona or, more specifically, Child Protective Services. Ms. Johnson has expressed her concerns that Harley's psychological state of being is in jeopardy due to her adoptive parent being of a species different from her own. I am sure Dr. Hudson has made a significant attempt to be the father Harley needs, but we must ask ourselves if Harley is truly happy and safe living in a town full of people not like herself. The prosecution will prove that Harley's proper development depends on her relocation and placement with her own kind."

"Thank you, Ms. Cadel." Judge Taran nodded. "The defense may give their opening statement."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Sally said, rolling forward. "My name is Sally Carrera, and I am the attorney for the town of Radiator Springs, here to represent Dr. Paul Hudson, Harley's current legal guardian. While the prosecution's concerns are understandable, they are not applicable to Harley's situation. Due to the nature of her case and her general personality, it is clear she has the proper mentality of any thirteen-year-old human and she is well taken care of in the town of Radiator Springs. The defense will prove that Ms. Johnson has rushed into the situation and Harley's relocation will not be necessary. Thank you."

"You may call your first witness, Ms. Cadel." Judge Taran said.

"Before we begin, Your Honor, may I suggest we view this case in the context of a trans-racial adoption?" Sally piped up.

"Objection, Your Honor." Laura countered. "This case revolves around Harley's psychological health, not her initial adoption."

"Sustained. I apologize, Ms. Carrera, but perhaps that argument would've been better suited for Harley's first custody battle." Judge Taran said.

"I understand, Your Honor." Sally said, mentally cursing. Trans-racial would've taken care of the whole "different species issue," but Sally couldn't argue with the prosecution's point. It didn't make their case any less winnable, but it did make things harder.

"For my first witness, I would like to call the defendant Paul Hudson to the stand." Laura began. Doc drove up to the witness' podium, once again feeling a little nervous to be the one on trial instead of overseeing it. Doc was sworn in, and Laura began. "Dr. Hudson, why did you choose to adopt Harley?"

"She became an orphan and needed a safe place to call 'home.'" Doc replied simply. "I was willing to give the role of 'parent' to any of the Radiator Springs residents, but they and Harley agreed it had to be me. So I took her in."

"Why in Radiator Springs?" Laura asked. "Why not anywhere else?"

"She was terrified." Doc said. "And the thought of leaving her hometown scared her even more. For the sake of sparing her more trauma, it was decided she should stay where she felt comfortable and safe."

"Decided by whom?" Laura half-demanded.

"By me. And everyone else in town." Doc said.

"And what gave you the authorization to make that decision?" Laura asked.

"My role as a judge." Doc countered, keeping a calm demeanor despite Laura's attitude giving him a migraine.

Laura paused; clearly she didn't know Doc's roles in the town. But she shook it off. "Dr. Hudson, when have you ever found Harley acting in ways humans wouldn't?"

"Objection! Leading the witness." Sally snapped.

"Sustained." Judge Taran nodded.

"Very well." Laura sighed. "Dr. Hudson, in your _professional_ opinion, can you recall a time when Harley believed she was actually a vehicle?"

"Not once." Doc said without hesitation. "I raised her as a human, just like she knew she was."

Laura smirked. "Yes. Because I'm sure you know _everything_ about being human. No further questions, Your Honor." The Cadillac returned to her spot next to Jennifer.

Sally drove forward. "Dr. Hudson," She began, careful to address Doc formally. "At what age was Harley when you adopted her?"

"Four." Doc replied.

"And who was she raised by from birth until the day you adopted her?"

"Her parents, Paula and John Jacobs-Davidson."

"So, in your professional opinion, would that not give her enough time to learn the difference between human and vehicle?"

"Objection!" Laura snapped. "Leading the witness."

"Overruled." Judge Taran said. "I'll allow the question."

"Given her age, I do believe Harley was psychologically able to determine the difference between her parents and her neighbors." Doc said. "Ergo, she knew she wasn't a car even after I adopted her."

"No further questions, Your Honor." Sally reversed to her spot again, and Doc was allowed to step down and join her. So far, so good. If they kept this up, they would have this trial in the bag.

"For my next witness, I would like to call Sheriff Samuel Carson to the stand." Laura said. Sheriff sighed a bit, not fully used to hearing his full name, and drove up to the stand. "Sheriff Carson, it is our understanding that you were there the night Harley became an orphan. Please describe the event."

In hindsight, Sheriff should've expected this. But he took a breath and let it out slowly. "All right. Tow Mater, one of the townsfolk, came rushin' ta me about something happening at the Jacobs-Davidson residence. I ordered him to git help while I rushed inside to see what happened. While inside, the house caught fire. Paula and John had been killed, but I found Harley still alive. So I grabbed 'er and got outta there as fast as I could." He tried to push the haunting images from his mind, not wanting to think about Paula coughing up blood or John's blood on the walls.

"Was the cause of the fire ever determined?" Laura asked.

"No." Sheriff said, still looking haunted from the memory.

"And what happened to Harley after she was saved?" Laura asked.

"She was taken ta Doc's place to rest and recover." Sheriff replied. "The next day, the town gathered to determine where Harley would stay. Doc—er, Paul was the first choice, especially when he was the first one ta git ta her and help 'er out. I approved of the placement myself."

"I see." Laura nodded. "Without consultation of Paula's or John's parents?"

Sheriff glared. "They were dead. John didn't have a family and Paula's parents died soon after Harley's birth."

Laura stared at Sheriff. "No further questions."

"No questions, Your Honor." Sally said. Sheriff came down from the stand. Doc and Sally expected Laura to call Harley up, but instead she called Mater to testify. In fact, she called up every single Radiator Springs resident except for Harley. Sally kept her questions simple, but the entire time she began wondering what was going on. Harley was the main focus of the case; why the heck was she not brought up sooner? Laura finished with all the Radiator Springs residents, and then she called up Jennifer. This turned out to be the most interesting part of the trial, as Sally tried to break down every argument Jennifer had.

"There have been several reports of both vehicular and human children psychologically unfit due to who they were raised by." Jennifer said. "Humans who believe they are cars, cars who believe they are humans, even instances where both believe they are actually animals."

"Objection, Your Honor!" Sally snapped. "It is clear Paul Hudson's mental capabilities are far more advanced than a wild animal's. I think it's safe to say Harley did not grow up wild."

"But is she acting like a normal teenage human girl?" Laura demanded.

"This has nothing to do with her age." Sally countered. "It has everything to do with Harley's mentality lining up with her species, which I'm sure it does."

"Well _how_ can you be so sure?" Laura scoffed.

"Because I spend time with her!" Sally snapped. "I can tell when she's acting like a car and when she's acting like a human and you know what? Not once has she _ever_ acted like a car!"

"Order!" Judge Taran slammed his gavel down a few times. The two attorneys were almost touching headlights now. "That's enough out of both of you. Are you done, Ms. Carrera?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Sally said. "And for the sake of moving this trial along, I suggest we bring up the ward in question."

"I agree." Laura said, surprising Sally.

"Very well." Judge Taran nodded. "The court will convene for a thirty-minute recess—"

"Your Honor, with all due respect, would it not be more reasonable to get the ward's testimony now?" Laura interrupted. "It will determine if the court needs to convene again tomorrow."

Judge Taran sighed, weighing the options. "I suppose for the sake of moving this trial along, the ward's testimony should be heard now. Please bring her up."

Harley finally made her way to the witness podium, silent the entire time. Doc finally caught a look at his adoptive daughter for the first time since the trial started, and he fought to hide his surprise. The brunette teen was tense and a little jittery, fidgeting in her seat at the podium. She stared at the ground, constantly readjusting her glasses. It finally clicked in Doc's head: this was Laura's plan all along. To unnerve Harley, she prolonged the trial and waited to call Harley to the stand until the last second, forcing the girl to sit through the near-torturous trial to break her calm and collected demeanor. Doc wasn't sure what made him angrier: that Laura used such a low tactic, or that it seemed to be working.

"Ms. Jacobs-Davidson—" Laura started.

"Hudson." Harley interrupted. "My name is Harley Hudson."

Laura raised an eye frame. "Very well, Ms. _Hudson._ Tell us: was Paul Hudson your first choice in a parent after your mother and father were killed?"

"I would've been happy with anybody." Harley shrugged. "But I guess I was closer to him than anyone else, so yeah he was my first choice."

"Are you sure?" Laura asked. "Wouldn't you have been happier with humans?"

"Objection, leading the witness." Sally snapped.

"Sustained." Judge Taran said, casting a warning look to Laura. Sally kept a close eye on Harley, listening carefully. If she was going to protect the teen's current mental stability, she'd have to cut Laura when she could.

"Where do you go to school, Ms. Hudson?" Laura asked.

"I'm homeschooled." Harley said. "There aren't exactly any schools around here, so I asked Daddy to homeschool me."

"And do you feel you can adequately answer questions on standardized test for a child your age?"

"I think so. I take these online tests when I finish all my schoolwork for the year, and I've been getting good grades."

"Are you sure you could apply the same knowledge to an _actual_ standardized test?"

"Objection!" Sally called. "Your Honor, I have personally reviewed the online homeschooling Dr. Hudson issues to Harley and I can confirm its legitimacy. Children have the provisional right to proper education and services, and I can confirm she is receiving such."

"But does homeschooling actually prepare her the way public or private schools can?" Laura demanded.

"Sustained to the defense." Judge Taran said.

Laura huffed a bit. "Ms. Hudson, have you ever acted in a way that would infer that you are actually a vehicle?"

"Objection!" Sally barked. "Such a vague question will only confuse the witness."

"It is a legitimate question, as it relates directly to Ms. Hudson's psychological development." Laura argued.

"But you must be specific in your questions, Ms. Cadel, in order to get to the truth of the matter." Judge Taran said.

"Very well." Laura nodded. "Ms. Hudson, have you ever tried to imitate the sounds a car would make, such as honking or the sound of an engine revving?"

Harley fidgeted in her seat. She was slowly unraveling, and Laura and Sally could see it. "Well, I have this air horn I like to carry around. I mean, it's just something funny I like to do."

"I see." Laura mused, smirking. "And have you ever consumed any kind of fuel?"

"I…..I tried some of Fillmore's organic fuel." Harley admitted. "But I was only three and I spit it out again! I promise!"

"Please just answer the question, Ms. Hudson." Laura requested.

Harley glared, finally looking to the purple Cadillac. "I'm being honest. When I came up here, you said I had to tell the whole truth, so I am."

Laura cast Harley an irritated glare, but Sally and Doc smiled in pride. Harley was picking up on Laura's and Jennifer's tricks, and she was doing what she could to fight back against them. Laura turned to fully face Harley. "Let me ask you something. You're an orphan human child, living in a town full of vehicles. You're homeschooled. You've lived most of your life without human contact. You're living your life without knowing your full potential, especially given your abilities as a psyche human."

"Objection, Your Honor." Sally piped up, her eyes on Harley. "I find a surprising lack of a question."

"Ms. Cadel?" Judge Taran asked. Sally still stared at Harley, and she noticed the girls' shoulders began to tremble. Harley glared at the ground, her nose flaring in anger. It looked like she was getting closer and closer to a meltdown, and Sally knew if it got to that point things would get much more difficult.

"My question is this: do you really think you're living a good life?" Laura demanded of Harley.

"Objection, Your Honor!" Sally snapped.

"Do you really think you're living the life you deserve?" Laura snapped, ignoring Sally's calls. "Your life could be so much better, yet you decide to live in a forgotten dump."

"Objection!" Sally shouted, some of the Radiator Springs residents beginning to shout. Harley still glared at the ground, her shaking much more visible now.

"You're living a life that's stuck in a rut!" Laura told Harley. "You think you're actually happy? It's all a lie!"

"Ms. Cadel!" Judge Taran snapped.

"This 'family' you think you have is nothing more than a group of simpletons who don't know what's best for you!" Laura shouted. "You don't know what's best for you because of their brainwashing!"

"That's enough!" Judge Taran shouted.

Harley suddenly raised her fists and slammed them down onto the wood of the podium, her crystal blue eyes ablaze with fury. _"Well I didn't ask to be an orphan!"_ She screamed. _"I didn't ask for my parents to be killed! I DIDN'T ASK DOC TO ADOPT ME!"_ She panted heavily, her eyes wild. "But Ford damn you, I'm _happy_ he did!" Harley's breathing became labored, and she allowed the weight of her actions to set it. She slowly sat back in her chair, her breathing slowly becoming calm until she was just staring off into space.

"You may step down, Ms. Hudson. Ms. Cadel, Ms. Carrera." Judge Taran said. "To the stand."

Harley shakily stood from the podium, making her way down to Sheriff to gently escort her out of the courtroom. Harley cast a look to Doc, wanting nothing more than to rush to him and hug him tightly. But Sheriff softly encouraged her on, knowing it would only make things worse. Jennifer and Laura would find a way to use it against Doc.

Judge Taran stared at Sally and Laura below him. "This trial is to determine where Harley's psychological health would benefit. Putting her through such an experience is a little counterproductive, don't you think?"

"My apologies, Your Honor." Laura said, looking only half-remorseful.

"Your Honor, I would like to suggest the trial be postponed until tomorrow." Sally offered. "This will give Harley time to recover and allow for a better investigation into the matter."

"I agree, Ms. Carrera." Judge Taran nodded. "For all our mental health."

"I would like to make one final request." Laura said. "I suggest Harley be given the standardized test for a sixth grade and a seventh grade level to see if her homeschooling really is paying off."

"You, my friend, are treading on thin ice." Judge Taran reminded Laura. "However, I will tentatively allow this test for the sake of upholding Harley's rights as a child." He spoke up to address the courtroom. "This court will convene tomorrow at 3 p.m." He slammed his gavel down, dismissing the crowd. Sally and Laura returned to their clients, Jennifer and her attorney leaving briskly.

Doc growled. "That little….."

"Take it easy, Doc." Sally said soothingly.

"You saw what she did!" Doc snapped. "What she put Harley through!"

"And that was her plan the entire time." Sally said. "But we start tomorrow, and I think I have a plan for giving us the edge we need. We know Harley will pass those tests; she's a smart kid. In the meantime, we're going to go through some legal paperwork. I think I know a way to show that you're still a good guardian for Harley."

"How?" Doc asked.

"By showing everyone that you've thought of everything in regards to Harley's wellbeing and happiness." Sally said confidently. "Just trust me."

* * *

The next day, everyone gathered at the courtroom yet again. Harley dressed in her usual outfit, including her skates, and she stood tall and proud as she entered the courtroom. She seemed much better than she looked yesterday, especially when she smiled and waved to Sally and Doc. The two cast her warm smiles, thankful to see that happy grin back on the teenager's face. Jennifer and Laura finally arrived, followed by Judge Taran.

"This court will come to order." Judge Taran called, silencing the clamor from the audience. "Ms. Carrera, you have the stand."

"Thank you, Your Honor." Sally nodded. "It has come to my attention that we have not fully addressed Harley's rights and needs as a child and whether or not those were met by her legal guardian. I would like to take this time to address each children's right for the court, calling Harley Hudson to the stand to testify to each right."

"You may proceed." Judge Taran said. "Please continue."

Harley skated up to the stand, much more at ease. Sally turned to the audience of the court, confidence practically radiating off of her. "As we in the legal world know, children's rights are the rights of children with particular attention to the rights of minors, as in those under the age of eighteen. This includes but is not limited to association with both parents, basic needs, and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child. Given Harley's situation, I would like to point out the ways her rights have been fulfilled by Dr. Paul Hudson. In regards to a child's provisional rights, Harley has the right to an adequate standard of living, health care, education and services, and to play and recreation. This includes a balanced diet, a warm bed to sleep in, and access to schooling. We have previously established her homeschooling. Ms. Cadel, what were Harley's results when you tested her?"

Laura frowned. "We discovered that not only was Ms. Hudson able to pass the sixth grade level test, she was able to exceed in the seventh grade level. Her intelligence is actually a grade above the average seventh grade student."

"Interesting." Sally mused, smirking. "As for the health care, I would like to point out Dr. Hudson's position as a medical professional for both vehicles and humans. This gives Harley very direct access to health care should she need it. Her immunization records show she is up-to-date with her shots, which I submit now for the court to see as evidence." A small overhead projector was brought into the room, and Sally placed a document onto the projector to show Harley's immunization records. "An investigation of Dr. Hudson's home shows it to be more than adequate, and we have confirmed in a previous interview that Harley is well-fed with a balanced diet that _does not_ include fuel. Harley, do you feel you have time to play every day?"

"Yep." Harley nodded. "There's lots of fun stuff to do around here. Sometimes I play soccer with the neighbors."

Sally nodded in satisfaction. "Moving on to a child's protection rights, I think it is more than obvious Harley is protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and discrimination."

"Objection!" Laura called. "Is this really a safe place for her? What about coyotes or other dangerous animals coming into the town?"

"Objection!" Sally countered. "Such occurrences is rather rare, and the argument is invalid given its possibility of occurrence in any town, in any state."

"Sustained for the defense." Judge Taran decided.

 _Yes. We're doing it._ Sally smiled warmly. "Harley, can you describe some of the activities you participate in around town?"

"Well, I like to help out with the other residents in their businesses." Harley shrugged. "Sometimes I'm a waitress at Flo's café, sometimes I help Guido and Luigi in their shop, you know I never really stay in one spot."

"Thank you." Sally nodded. "I, too, can confirm Harley's frequent visits to the Cozy Cone Motel, volunteering her services. This also meets her economic, social, and cultural rights in that her volunteer work allows her to gain experience she can put on a résumé for when she applies for a job. Harley is also a volunteer with Lightning McQueen's racing team, giving her exceptional credentials and references. Adding this and her heightened intelligence, we can be confident she will be ready for college when the time comes. That is all, Your Honor."

"Thank you, Ms. Carrera. Any questions, Ms. Cadel?" Judge Taran asked.

"No, Your Honor." Laura said.

"Then you may step down, Ms. Hudson." Judge Taran said. Harley thanked the judge and skated back to her seat. Sally took a minute to gather her composure. They just tilted the scale in their favor. If they could keep this up, Laura and Jennifer wouldn't have another argument to throw out.

"Your Honor, I wish to call Paul Hudson back to the stand." Laura said.

Judge Taran raised an eye frame. "You best have new information for the court, Ms. Cadel."

"I do, sir." Laura nodded. Doc drove back up to the witness podium, and Laura approached him. "Dr. Hudson, how old are you?"

"I plead the fifth. I don't feel comfortable answering that question." Doc replied simply. Harley slapped her hand over her mouth to hide her giggles.

Laura rolled her eyes. "Very well. But you _can_ answer this: who is your next of kin, who will care for Harley should you perish for any reason?"

"That would be Sheriff." Doc said, nodding to said police Mercury.

"Really?" Laura scoffed. "As Ms. Johnson and I discussed last night, such a situation should not be accepted. Dr. Hudson's age aside, should something happen to him before Ms. Hudson turns eighteen, she will need a secure 'next of kin' to care for her. Ergo, the security of her future rests in having a next of kin who is…" She cast a look at Sheriff, who sent her a pointed glare. "We'll say younger than forty."

"Objection!" Sally rolled her eyes. "Is such action truly necessary?"

"It is for the sake of Ms. Hudson's secure future." Laura argued. "What's supposed to happen if both Dr. Hudson and Sheriff Carson die before she turns eighteen? She'll still be thrown into the foster system if she's under eighteen years old."

"I'll do it!" Mater suddenly piped up.

"Oh, no!" Jennifer snapped. "Ms. Hudson's future rests in her having a _responsible_ , well-brought up person as her next of kin. Such an investigation would require more time ergo—"

"I'll do it then!" Lightning suddenly called, driving forward to rest between the defense and the prosecution. "I can be Harley's next of kin. If anything happens to Doc or Sheriff, I can be there for her. I think you'll find I'm more than qualified to be a good provider for her."

Jennifer laughed. "That's the most ridiculous—"

"Be still, Ms. Johnson." Judge Taran said. "I actually agree. Given your position, Mr. McQueen, economically and financially, along with your clear care for the girl, I can see you would be an excellent guardian for Ms. Hudson. Sheriff, please see to it that Mr. McQueen's name be added to the next of kin list."

"Yessir." Sheriff nodded. Lightning nodded in thanks and returned to his spot. Sally turned to him and mouthed a "Thank you."

"Anything further, Ms. Cadel?" Judge Taran asked.

Laura looked to Jennifer, who seemed rather irate. Then, the doors to the courtroom opened and Sarah entered the room, apparently having slipped out when no one was looking. Sarah approached Jennifer, whispering to her. Laura joined in the huddle, and when they pulled away the Cadillac was smirking. "I do have a few more questions, Your Honor."

"Very well." Judge Taran nodded. "Proceed."

Laura approached Doc. "Dr. Hudson, after Harley's parents were killed, was any attempt made to seek out Harley's still-living family?"

"Objection! Asked and answered." Sally pointed out.

"Objection! This is relevant to the case, Your Honor." Laura countered.

"Sustained for the prosecution. Proceed with caution, Ms. Cadel." Judge Taran said.

Laura nodded. "Dr. Hudson?"

"We already established that both Paula's and John's parents were dead." Doc reminded her.

"What about other family members?" Laura asked. "Aunts. Uncles. Cousins, even distant relatives. Were those even considered when trying to place Ms. Hudson in a new home?"

Doc realized where this was going, but he wouldn't be deterred. "Paula was an only child, ergo she had no one else who could take Harley in. Moreover, Paula's parents were already dead when Harley became an orphan. As for John…." Doc sighed. "John had a rather questionable past, and I wasn't sure if he even had a family. For the sake of Harley's safety, I thought against seeking out John's side of the family, if there was one to begin with."

Laura smirked again. "Well perhaps you should've looked. Ladies and gentlemen, Your Honor, during these proceedings we have managed to track down Jessica Dows, the sister of John Jacobs-Davidson!"

There was an uproar. Most of the audience started talking and shouting. Sally stared in shock, sharing surprised stares with Doc. Judge Taran slammed his gavel down multiple times, but it did nothing to quiet the chatter. Sheriff looked to Harley, who stared off into space in shock. She actually had an aunt? Someone related to her by blood was still alive? How did that make sense? And why did she have to find out now?

It took several minutes for the courtroom to come to order, and Judge Taran ordered Doc to step down from the stand. He looked to Laura. "Ms. Cadel, before I fine you for withholding evidence, perhaps you'd like to defend yourself."

"This was in no way withholding evidence." Laura assured. "Ms. Johnson and I began our search just yesterday, but did not hear back from Mrs. Dows until just a few minutes ago. In fact, she and her husband are on their way to Radiator Springs now to testify."

"Your Honor, this cannot be allowed!" Sally protested. "Such an investigation should've been made known to the court!"

"We did not want to raise hopes should our investigation come up short." Laura reasoned.

"Why that is such a load of—" Sally looked ready to tear Laura in half.

"Enough!" Judge Taran snapped. He stared back and forth between the defense and the prosecution. "This trial will be postponed until we can get to the bottom of this. Once Mr. and Mrs. Dows arrive, you will tell me immediately. Then I, the prosecution, and the defense will interview the couple to determine their legitimacy; I will personally decide if they seem fit to raise Ms. Hudson. Once all the proper evidence has been gathered, I will give my verdict. Court dismissed!" He slammed his gavel down.

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! Muahahaha! Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for long. But you gotta let me know what you think! I know, this is a very cliché storyline and most of you can guess the ending, but I wanted to give it a try.**

 **Read and review please!**


	6. Thirteen Part 2

**Thirteen – Part Two**

"This is ridiculous!" Doc snapped as he paced around his home. Sally was with him, the two of them reviewing what she would ask Harley's aunt and uncle would arrive. It was the day after the recent events of the trial, and Jessica Dows and her husband were due to arrive any minute now.

"Doc, I know you're frustrated, but we can't give in to it." Sally said soothingly. Still, even she felt rather frazzled. The case just got immensely complicated in only a short amount of time with Harley's blood family now involved. Said brunette had to go back to the Cozy Cone.

"That social worker is just doing this so she can take Harley away from me. Away from all of us!" Doc snapped.

"Believe it or not, Doc, I _have_ seen cases like this where an orphan's family tries to reclaim the child." Sally reasoned. "Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't."

"We didn't even know John had a family!" Doc continued, seeming to not hear Sally. "He never talked about the life he had before coming to Radiator Springs. And given who he was, we had every right to suspect Harley wouldn't be safe with his family!"

"And _that_ is the argument you need to give to the judge." Sally said, finally gaining Doc's attention. "I have requested that you be present when we interview Harley's aunt and uncle, and it was approved. Jennifer will be there too, but your presence shows you're still willing to fight to keep Harley. It'll still be up to the judge, but it'll help our cause."

Doc sighed heavily. He suddenly looked much older than he actually was. "I don't want to lose her."

"And you won't." Sally assured. "Let's just see what happens with the interview."

* * *

Harley's aunt and uncle arrived in town later that afternoon, escorted by Sheriff to the courthouse where the interview will take place. Jessica Dows looked a lot like her late brother: fair skin, mud-colored hair, and dark blue eyes. Her husband, whom she introduced as Robert Dows, had blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes a similar shade as his wife's. Robert dressed in jeans, a white shirt, a black blazer, and black sneakers while Jessica wore a rose-pink pleated skirt, white blouse, and hot pink staccato heels. The second he saw them, Doc decided he didn't like them. He wasn't sure if it was how they looked or simply because he just wanted to keep Harley.

Jessica and Robert joined Judge Taran, Sally, Doc, Jennifer, and Laura in the now-empty courtroom, ready to conduct the interview. Doc tried his best to not lose his temper during the talk, but his irritation was clear based on the glare in his eyes.

"As you can see, Ms. Hudson has the chance to live with her birth family, like she should have when her parents died." Laura said. "It causes me to question Dr. Hudson's decision to not even _try_ to locate Harley's extended family."

"John never even mentioned having a family." Doc protested. "He seemed to distance himself whenever we asked, so we all thought they were dead."

"John Jacobs also had a criminal record." Sally noted. "For the sake of Harley's safety, I believe my client had the right idea to hesitate in making the call."

Judge Taran looked to Jessica and Robert. "Mr. and Mrs. Dows? You're thoughts?"

"Well, John and I weren't exactly close." Jessica explained. "After our parents died, we sort of went our separate ways. He did have a criminal record of petty theft, and once he got out of jail he sort of disappeared. I never knew what happened to him, so naturally I had no idea he got married and had a child. But when I was told I had a niece, I'll admit I was rather curious."

"Should the child be placed in your care, do you feel you could properly raise her?" Judge Taran asked.

"We would love to have her." Jessica nodded.

"She is our blood, after all." Robert agreed.

"Your Honor, with all due respect to Mr. and Mrs. Dows, blood relation should not be the sole basis of their case." Sally said.

"I agree." Judge Taran nodded. "Mr. and Mrs. Dows, are you aware you will need thorough background and credential checks to be approved for caring for a child?"

"Of course, sir." Jessica said. "We'd be more than willing to show our qualifications."

"Good." Judge Taran looked back and forth between Doc and Harley's aunt and uncle. "Ultimately, the final decisions rests with me. After I gather more information and deliberate, I will give my verdict. You are all dismissed."

* * *

During the interview (and really for most of the days she spent away from Doc), Harley sat in the motel room at the Cozy Cone. Sarah remained kind and courteous, but Harley hardly acknowledged her. The teenager did everything she could to distract herself, but she already tore through her books and her toys bored her. Due to Doc's agreement with Jennifer, Harley couldn't even step foot in Doc's house to get another book or toy. She wasn't sure if she'd even be allowed to ask one of the residents to get something for her.

Harley sighed, staring out the window. She heard Sarah drive up to her, and the forklift placed a comforting tine on Harley's shoulder. Harley turned to stare at Sarah. "Why does your boss act like this? She's really acting like a jackwagon."

Sarah chuckled softly. "Don't be too hard on her. She's just stubborn is all."

"Are all social workers like this?" Harley asked nervously.

"No, no, not at all." Sarah assured. "Not all social workers are bad; we just want to make sure children in the foster system are well taken care of and placed into good homes. But sometimes people's judgements are skewed because of their own personal beliefs, and that's no one's fault. But it certainly doesn't make things easier for everyone, and sometimes those personal beliefs get in the way of what's best for the child."

"So what's her problem?" Harley muttered, staring out the window.

"She's just set in her beliefs." Sarah sighed. "She fully believes that you should be raised by humans, not cars, and she'll do what she can to ensure that you're taken away. But you wanna know a secret?" Harley perked up at this. "I don't think she's going to win. I've been watching the residents during this trial, and I must say I am quite awed by their dedication. This entire town wants to help you, and that's how I know everything is going to work out for you."

Harley smiled softly. "Thanks. I really needed to hear that."

"You're very welcome, Harley." Sarah smiled warmly.

* * *

The next day, Judge Taran had yet to give his verdict. Either because he was stalling or he truly couldn't decide just yet, he told everyone his final decision would be announced tomorrow morning.

"We really have to stay in this dingy shack of a motel for another night?" Robert groaned as he and Jessica lounged in their room. Their room was on the other side of the motel, far away from Harley and Sarah.

"It's not so bad." Jessica shrugged, touching up her makeup.

"I'm telling you, Jess, we never should've come." Robert sighed. "We're not even going to keep the kid, so what's the point of reclaiming her?"

"We're fulfilling our end of the deal." Jessica said. She glanced to an envelope on the desk she sat at. "Johnson gave us the money, now we gotta get the kid. Besides, you always said you wanted children someday."

"I want a kid that's ours, not some adopted brat of a jailbird." Robert protested. "Come on, what if she's no better than her father?"

Jessica seriously thought about that. John wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world. In fact, he had been known to get violent with his sister and parents before he left town. Jessica and Robert hadn't met Harley yet; who was to say the teenage girl with streaks in her hair and a punk-like attitude wouldn't be the same as her father? Did they really want to deal with that and ruin their own reputation?

Finally, Jessica sighed. "Fine. I suppose you're right. I was overjoyed when John left town; it'd be counterproductive to keep his spawn. But then what are we supposed to do with the kid when we get her?"

"We'll put her up for adoption." Robert said. "I read all about it; once we sever the rights to the kid, we'll be off scot-free and she can go live with another human family. We get our money, she gets a family. A win-win."

Jessica smirked, smiling almost seductively at her husband. "I knew I married you for brains instead of brawn."

Robert smirked. "You better believe it."

* * *

As the sun began to touch the horizon, Lightning drove up to the courthouse, looking around before his eyes settled on Sheriff. "Hey Sheriff!"

The Mercury paused as he was passing the courthouse, turning and smiling at the red stock car. "Hey there."

Lightning noticed the look in Sheriff's eyes. "Yeesh, you look exhausted."

Sheriff sighed tiredly. "You have no idea. This stupid trial is gonna be the death of me."

"Then I'm sorry for my reason for coming. I want to know what I have to do to get my name on this 'next of kin' thing." Lightning said.

Sheriff smiled now. "C'mere, son. Let me show ya somethin'." He led Lightning into the courthouse, driving down to a door with a sign on it that read "Records Room." Lightning followed silently, waiting patiently to see what Sheriff had to show him. The police car pulled out a file and set it on the table nearby, opening it to reveal a small stack of paperwork. Lightning watched curiously as Sheriff began sifting through the papers, and he noticed all the documents related to Harley: several photos, her birth certificate, her immunization records, her Certificate of Adoption, and more. Finally, Sheriff found what he was looking for and pushed the paper over to Lightning. The red stock car couldn't make much sense of the legal document, but he found a line that read "Next of Kin." He blinked in surprise to find not only Sheriff's name, but an entire list of names made up of the entire town of Radiator Springs.

"What is this?" Lightning asked, laughing in disbelief.

"Harley's next of kin." Sheriff replied. "Doc and I planned it all out soon after the fire. Harley always wanted ta stay in Radiator Springs, so Doc and I made this list. If anythin' happens ta Harley's current guardian, one of the residents will take her in dependin' on their place on the list." Sheriff took up a pen on the desk and pushed it towards Lightning. "And now, ye can add yer own name ta the list. This way, Harley can stay in Radiator Springs like she wants."

Lightning laughed. "Wow. You guys really thought this all out." He stared at the list, finding Mater's name under Sheriff's, and the rest of the list reading Lizzie, Red, Guido, Luigi, Flo, Ramone, Sarge, Fillmore, and Sally. Lightning put his name under Sally's, nodding in satisfaction. Sheriff put the documents away, and the two cars made their way out of the courthouse. Lightning looked down, his smile falling. "Sheriff? Do you think we can win?"

Sheriff sighed heavily. "I'm sure we will. But it's all about who the judge thinks will take better care of Harley."

"But you guys are the ones who have been taking care of her longer." Lightning protested. "Why should her aunt and uncle suddenly be allowed to take her back just because they recently found out she was around?"

"Because the social worker believes they should." Sheriff said. "But we're the ones who raised Harley. I know we can make it work." He and Lightning paused when they noticed Doc in the distance, the old Hornet slowly making his way home. The stock car and police cruiser shared a look before driving over to the clinic. Doc greeted them tiredly at the door, inviting them inside. The three of them parked in the kitchen, Doc pouring them all some tea but nobody drinking it. They sat in silence for a long time.

"Can I be honest with you two?" Doc asked in a quiet voice. Lightning and Sheriff looked up to stare at Doc. The cobalt racer sighed. "I don't know if we'll win. What if Harley is taken away? What if…what if we lose?"

"Come on, Doc, you can't think that way." Lightning said encouragingly. "We all know Harley is happy here, and that judge will see it too."

"And if he doesn't?" Doc asked. He sighed again. "I just don't want her to be taken away."

"Nobody does, Doc." Sheriff assured. "It ain't fair, what she had ta go through. Bein' forced away from her home will only make things worse. But we don't go down without a fight, and you proved that. All we kin do now is pray for the best."

Lightning stared at the floor. "So…you think she'll really get taken away?"

Doc didn't answer for a minute. "I don't know."

Unbeknownst to them, a certain bespectacled teenager rested just outside the window, sitting on the ground so nobody in the kitchen could see her. Harley had wanted to sneak into Doc's house just to grab another book, but she decided to hide when she heard Doc, Sheriff, and Lightning talking. Hearing them supposedly giving up hope suddenly made Harley terrified. She also felt betrayed, because the people she relied on most to keep her hopes up seemed to be throwing in the towel before the fight was over. Harley struggled to hold back her tears, trembling. Her eyes caught sight of her skates, and she angrily pulled them off and tossed them aside. She curled into a ball, sobbing quietly to not draw attention to herself.

It was over.

* * *

Night had since fallen as Sarah approached Flo's café, noticing the entire town already there and trying to wind down from the tension. Sarah tried to relax, but it only became easier to do so after some of the residents cast her warm smiles. Clearly none of the townsfolk liked Jennifer or her lawyer, but they all agreed Sarah was kind and meant them no hostility. Sarah requested something for Harley's dinner, and Flo sent her off with a grilled cheese made special for the girl. Driving back to her motel room, Sarah quietly shut the door behind her and approached the bed where Harley rested. The girl long since buried herself under the covers, clearly not keen on talking to anyone. But Sarah knew she had to at least try.

"Hey Harley?" Sarah called softly. "I brought you some dinner." Harley didn't answer. "Come on, Harley, it's grilled cheese. Flo tells me it's your favorite." Still, no response. Harley didn't even stir. Sarah sighed. "Harley, sweetheart, I know things seem bad. But everything will be all right. Somehow, things will work out no matter where you go." Sarah waited for a response, but nothing. Oddly enough, the forklift didn't even see the rise and fall of the blanket that would indicate Harley breathing. _She must be quite the heavy sleeper._ Sarah moved the plate of grilled cheese to one tine and used the other to lift up the blanket. But her eyes widened and she ripped the covers off to discover several pillows underneath.

Harley was missing.

The plate and food hit the floor long after Sarah disappeared from the motel room, making a beeline for Flo's. "Everyone! Dr. Hudson! Sheriff!"

Everyone jumped when Sarah suddenly screeched to a halt before them. "Good Ford, woman!" Sheriff snapped. "What's the matter?"

Sarah panted a little. "It's Harley! She's gone!"

" _What?!"_ Everyone shouted, their attention drawn to Sarah. Jennifer, Laura, Jessica, and Robert had been passing by, but stopped in their tracks at Sarah's announcement.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Sheriff demanded, looking terrified.

"I-I thought she was just sleeping!" Sarah explained quickly. "But all I found were pillows. She must've snuck out or something!"

"We gotta find her!" Mater urged. "She could git hurt!"

"Everyone split up!" Doc ordered. "Lightning and Mater, go check Willie's Butte. Sally and Flo, drive up to Wheel Well. Everyone else, spread out! I want eyes on my kid in ten minutes!"

That last part was a little unreasonable, but nobody dared to argue. They were all too busy splitting up to their respective areas to search. Lightning and Mater raced to Willie's Butte while Flo and Sally sped off towards Wheel Well. The rest of the residents, joined by Sarah, Jennifer, Laura, Jessica, and Robert, searched every square inch of the town. Each and every store was scoured, even the ones long since boarded up. Everyone called for Harley, pleading for her to come out. But either she didn't hear or she didn't listen. It took almost half an hour for everyone to regroup, and still nobody had seen hide nor hair of Harley with the exception of Guido and Luigi.

"We-a found these in our shop." Luigi said hurriedly, Guido holding up Harley's roller skates in his forks.

"Where could she be if she's not in town?" Fillmore asked worriedly.

"Almost anywhere." Sarge growled in frustration. "She knows this desert, even in the dark."

"Then we'll search the surrounding areas." Sheriff said. "She's can't have gotten far."

"You want to search the entire Ornament Valley for that kid?" Jennifer scoffed. "Please. She's probably just hiding in town where we can't find her. Give her an hour; she'll come back when she's hungry."

"How could you _possibly_ know that?" Doc demanded.

"She's a child." Jennifer sneered. "She's not going to go far before she turns around again."

It took every ounce of Doc's willpower to not run Jennifer over. "You're wrong." He snarled. "Now if you're not gonna help, stay out of our way." He looked to the residents. "Spread out. We gotta find her." The townsfolk nodded. Even Lizzie and Sarah offered to help as they left the town and began searching again. Sally and Flo decided to stay behind in case Harley returned. Jennifer, Laura, Jessica, and Robert only rolled their eyes and returned to their motel rooms. Judge Taran, having heard the commotion during the first sweep of the town, decided to join Sarge and Fillmore as they drove out to Wheel Well again. They carefully scanned the forested and rocky areas on either side of the road, calling for Harley. Lightning, Mater, and Red journeyed out to Willie's Butte again, and then towards the tractor field. Everyone else spread out to various parts of the desert, determined to find their missing child.

Doc and Sheriff stopped at a small hill, looking out over the land. Sheriff washed his headlights over the area, but didn't even see footprints. He sighed. "Doc. What're we gonna do if we can't find her?"

"We _will_ find her." Doc assured, a determined glare in his eyes. "Don't doubt that for a second."

* * *

Soon after her bought of eavesdropping, Harley decided to abandon her skates and run away from Radiator Springs. She just couldn't stand being there with all that was happening. All she wanted was to stay with the people she loved. Was that so wrong? Clearly is must've been if someone was so intent on taking her away. She shivered a bit, rubbing her bare arms. All she wore was a pair of faded, blue plaid pajama pants and a blue tank top. She was also barefoot, but the still-warm sand under her feet provided some comfort. The crescent moon provided little light in the vast darkness of the desert environment. Harley didn't stop walking, no matter how tired she felt. She also sniffled a bit, but she couldn't decide if it was leftover from her sobbing or if she was coming down with a cold.

She hardly cared either way.

 _I've gotta find a way to stay in Radiator Springs._ She thought. _I just can't leave them. I don't want to leave them. But how can I get that social worker to let me stay? She works for the entire state of Arizona. It's not like I can just find another social worker._ Harley's eyes widened a bit in realization. _Maybe not here, but maybe I can find another social worker in another state! California isn't that far from here. I can walk there and put this entire situation in a whole new jurisdiction. That will help!_ She looked off into the distance. _Walk all the way to California? Yeesh. No, no you can do it, Harley. For the sake of staying with your family, you gotta do it._

Harley found a stick nearby and stuck it into the sand, analyzing the shadow cast by the moon. It was faint, but if she remembered what Sheriff told her about compass directions and moonlight, then she could guess which way was west, towards California. Harley settled on a direction and walked off. She sneezed, but simply rubbed her nose and kept going.

"You can do it, Harley." The brunette told herself, ignoring how warm she suddenly felt. "Come on. It's for your family."

* * *

After two hours of searching, things definitely started taking a turn for the worse. None of the search parties could find Harley no matter where they looked or how much they called. They pleaded for her to come out, but either she wasn't where they searched or she ignored them completely.

To sum it up, things just weren't working out.

" _Ev'ryone's back in town."_ Mater's voice said over Sheriff's radio. _"We're gunna look again and see if Sissy really is jus' hidin' round here."_

Sheriff sighed. "All right, Mater. Why don't you all just wait there and Doc and I will catch up in a bit?"

Mater sighed too. He sounded quite dejected. _"Okay….."_

"Hey, everything's gonna be all right." Sheriff assured. "Don't you worry about a thing." Mater thanked Sheriff before signing off, and the police cruiser looked to Doc nearby. The Hornet had been rather still for several minutes now. Sheriff slowly drove up to park beside him. "Everyone returned to town. They're gonna search the place and see if Harley's there."

"She ain't." Doc said, still staring out at the landscape. "I know she ain't. She's out here, and I gotta find her."

"Doc, yer tired and stressed." Sheriff reasoned. "You really think Harley could be out here so late at night?"

Doc looked to Sheriff. "Think about all those hikes you took her on. All your and Sarge's wilderness survival lessons. All those camping trips. Think about all that and answer your own question."

Sheriff did think about it, and he realized Doc was right. Harley was a true outdoorsperson, and she knew how to navigate the land. She could be halfway to California by now and they wouldn't even know it. Her tracks were either so faint they couldn't be seen or she actually swept them away to cover them. She was a smart kid, no doubt about it. Right now, she didn't want to be found. So what could they do except do their best to find her?

The two cars continued driving, carefully scanning the area around them. It wasn't completely pitch black, but they relied heavily on their headlights to see anything as they drove. They called for Harley now and then, but tried to remain quiet in case Harley was trying to avoid them. At this point, it seemed likely. Doc didn't want to think about that. All he wanted to think about was having Harley back with him and getting her straight home. How could he doubt that Harley wouldn't be able to stay? How could he lose hope, when he spent most of Harley's lifetime teaching her to never do such a thing? This entire situation with the social worker was stupid to start with, but now it reached new levels of absurdity. Doc decided then and there that he didn't care what anyone tried to do to him; Harley was going to stay with him in Radiator Springs, where she belonged. If anyone wanted to take her away, they would have to pry her away from his cold, dead corpse.

But as several minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty, Doc and Sheriff started to feel things were reaching a new low. They still didn't have any idea where Harley was, and they could only imagine what might've happened to her. Did she find the Interstate and hitch a ride on another car? Did a wild animal get to her? Was she really back in town? Doc was almost ready to give up, but there was still a pull in his engine that told him to keep going. He could find his daughter. He just had to keep looking. Sheriff cast Doc worried glances now and then, but he too felt they couldn't give up until they found Harley.

Meanwhile, Harley found that walking all the way to California would take more than just willpower. Her stomach grumbled, and she definitely felt warm despite the cool night air. She coughed again and again. Her legs wobbled a bit as she walked. Something told her she should probably turn around and head back, or at least stop somewhere and rest for the night. But out of pure stubbornness or maybe just slight insanity, Harley kept walking. She kept walking and walking and walking until one of her bare feet suddenly hit a rock and she tripped, hitting the ground hard. Harley coughed harshly, either from sickness or the dust she wasn't sure. She desperately tried to push herself upright, but her arms shook terribly and all she could do was get herself into a slouched sitting position. She panted, putting a hand to her forehead. Now she knew she had a fever. Hopelessness crashed down onto Harley, and she curled up into a ball and buried her face into her knees.

 _I wanna go home. I want my daddy. I want Sheriff and Mater and Lizzie and Red and Lightning and Sally and Sarge and Fillmore and Guido and Luigi and Flo and Ramone and…..and…everybody….._ Harley took in a shuddering breath, letting it out slowly. _I wanna go home. I wanna be back in Radiator Springs._

 _Look up._

Harley paused. She could've sworn she just heard a voice. Or maybe the delirium was finally settling in.

 _Look up, Harley, look up._

Okay, she definitely heard that. "Hello?"

 _Look up!_

Harley finally obeyed the voice, her head shooting up to look around. "Stanley?" She didn't know why she thought she heard Stanley's voice, not recalling when she actually spoke to the long-deceased Radiator Springs founder. But she didn't have a second to think about it when she noticed two familiar figures in the distance: a police cruiser Mercury and a cobalt blue Hudson Hornet. "Doc? Sheriff?" Harley whispered, shakily pushing herself to her feet. The two cars were quite a distance away from her, so much they looked like her toys. "Doc!" Harley's voice was a weak whisper as she made her way towards the cars. "Doc…" She wanted to speed up, but her legs seemed to ignore her mind's messages. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw Doc and Sheriff beginning to drive away. Harley's breathing became a bit labored, but she sucked in a breath.

" _DADDY!"_ she shouted.

Doc froze, and he quickly reversed to look around. He finally noticed a small figure in the distance, slowly coming towards him and Sheriff. "Harley?" Doc breathed, his eyes going wide. "Harley!" He kicked up dirt as he sped off, right towards his daughter. Sheriff was close behind him, laughing in relief. Harley finally managed to pick up speed, and the second she reached Doc she threw himself onto his hood and broke down into fearful tears. Doc nuzzled her lovingly, shushing her and speaking soothingly. Sheriff nuzzled the girl, sounding worried but thankful she seemed fine. Well, for the most part. She wouldn't stop coughing and she was covered in dirt. But she was alive and unharmed, and that's what mattered.

Harley hiccupped a bit, staring into Doc's crystal eyes now full of happy tears. "I-I'm sorry, D-Doc. I j-just…I just…."

Doc shushed her. "It's okay, Harley. Everything's going to be fine. I _promise_ , I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Harley nodded, still crying as she pressed herself against Doc's hood. She coughed again, her legs beginning to give out.

"C'mon, you two." Sheriff encouraged, helping Harley climb up onto Doc's hood. "We best be getting home." He led the way as he and Doc drove home, Harley curled up and trying to calm down. She coughed a few more times, and when she pressed her forehead against Doc's hood he could feel how warm she felt. The doctor side of him started thinking of everything he would have to do when they got home to make her feel better, but his father side just reminded him to keep talking to her and keep her calm.

As they neared the town, Sheriff pulled ahead to announce they finally found Harley. But rather than seeing the townsfolk all over the place, everyone was gathered at Flo's. Sheriff slowed a bit when he heard shouting, and he listened carefully.

"Tonight's events have proven she is in danger while living here!"

"Tonight's events were nothing more than you pushing Harley to her limits!"

"Yeah, man, what's your problem?"

"The poor girl's probably terrified!"

"If she's hurt in any way—"

"It'll be your own faults. I'll have you all arrested for holding a little girl hostage!"

"She's thirteen!"

"Yeah, and none of this would've happened if it weren't for you!"

Sheriff paused. _Oh boy._

"What's goin' on?" Doc asked as he parked beside Sheriff.

"We gotta git ya home. Come on." Sheriff encouraged.

"There they are!" Suddenly, Laura came tearing up Main Street towards Doc and Sheriff. Harley had been half-asleep, but when she saw Laura and then Jennifer approach she instantly became wide awake. She whimpered in terror as she scrambled off Doc's hood, hiding behind the Hornet. Doc stood firm before the social worker and her lawyer, glaring.

"Hand over that child, Dr. Hudson." Jennifer ordered. "Or we'll hold you in contempt of court."

"I'm not in contempt of court. I'm in contempt of you." Doc growled. "Now get outta my way. I'm takin' my daughter home."

"She's not your daughter!" Jennifer snapped. "She's a ward of the state and she needs to be with a family who will actually take care of her!"

"You think you know what's best for her just because of your job?" Doc demanded. "You don't know what's best for her, you just want things done your way!"

Jennifer's fists clenched as she locked her hazel-eyed glare on Doc. "Listen to me, you washed-up piece of junkyard trash, that child is coming with me—"

"No she ain't!" Mater suddenly shouted, speeding up and screeching to a halt beside Doc. He frowned at Jennifer and Laura. "Harley's stayin' where she belongs, an' that's right here!"

"Harley is _happy_ here in Radiator Springs." Lightning added, him and Red coming up to park beside Sheriff. "She's always been well taken care of, even when her family is an entirely different species."

"Not once has she ever been unhappy." Lizzie piped up. With every defending point that came up, another Radiator Springs resident came up to surround Harley, protecting her from the social worker.

"She loves this place and she loves all of us." Fillmore said. "And we all love her."

"We've spent the past thirteen years protecting her from any kind of harm, and we'll do it again now." Sarge said.

"Her parents and grandparents trusted us," Flo pointed out. "They would agree with us now."

"The kid's part of our family." Ramone said firmly.

Guido spoke rapidly in Italian. "That's right! We-a are always there for our family!" Luigi translated.

"All the kid wants is to be with the people she loves." Mack added. "Is that so wrong?"

Sally glared at Laura. "All you've done is put her through more trauma than she's ever experienced. She never needed any of this."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Jennifer huffed. "If she's so happy here, why doesn't she say so?"

"You never asked!" Sheriff shouted. "Not once have you _ever_ asked Harley what she wanted."

"I'd like to ask."

Everyone went silent as Judge Taran approached the group. The Grand Vitara glanced at the scene before him before looking to Doc. Judge Taran leaned a bit to try and get a glimpse at Harley, but the brunette hid fearfully behind her surrogate father. Judge Taran looked to the Radiator Springs residents, still standing protectively around Harley. "May I have a moment to speak with the girl?"

There was silence for a moment as the townsfolk exchanged glances. Mater suddenly rolled forward. "No." He said in a very diplomatic yet firm tone.

Judge Taran blinked, not expecting this reaction. "Pardon?"

"Harley's sick an' she needs help." Mater said firmly. "Ye kin talk ta her tomorrow."

Realizing their precious gem was still coughing a bit, the townsfolk sprang into action. "I'll heat up some soup for you, sweet pea." Flo said, rushing to the café.

"I'll get some spare blankets from the motel." Sally sped off.

"We will-a get the Italian CDs she likes." Luigi said, Guido agreeing.

"Italian CDs?" Judge Taran asked, confused.

"Yes." Luigi nodded firmly. "Because when our-a _piccolo_ is sick, she likes to listen to Italian music to calm her down!" He turned and sped off, Guido crossing his forks and following.

"Come on, Harley darlin'." Doc gently encouraged Harley back onto his hood and carried the girl back to the clinic. He set her on a hospital cot, grabbing her a wet towel to clean the dirt off her face and feet. Harley still coughed a bit, and Doc hurried off before returning with a bit of cold medicine and some water. Harley's face scrunched up in disgust as she swallowed the medicine, but she said nothing. Flo came by with her soup, and Sally arrived with a couple warm blankets. Guido brought the CDs, putting one into Harley's CD player and allowing the soft music to fill the air. The rest of the residents waited outside, watching and readying themselves should Harley need anything. Harley smiled softly as she spooned her soup into her mouth. For the first time in over a week, she finally felt like things were the way they should be: just her and her family, all together and watching out for each other. Harley finished her late dinner and yawned, giving a couple more coughs. Doc gently encouraged her to sleep, and she set her glasses on a small table nearby before curling up on the cot. She pulled the blankets closer around her, and she yawned one more time before settling to sleep.

Seeing Harley finally fall asleep, the rest of the residents sighed in relief and dispersed to go home. It had been a long night, after all.

* * *

The next day, everyone gathered at Flo's for breakfast, per the usual. But today, they were pleasantly surprised to see Harley skating up to them with Doc by her side. Harley was freshly bathed and in clean clothes, a warm smile on her face as she skated smoothly to the café.

"How are you feeling?" Lightning asked.

"Much better." Harley nodded. "Thanks."

"We were real worried about ya." Sheriff said. "Don't do that again, ye hear?"

"Yes, Sheriff." Harley agreed.

"Here ya go, honey." Flo said, bringing some oatmeal by. "Eat up." Harley smiled and sat cross-legged on the ground, wolfing down her food. She couldn't exactly remember the last time she had a full meal. She had been so depressed lately she hardly ate. But now, she was starving; so much, she politely asked Flo for seconds when she finished, and then for thirds. But as she began working her way through her third bowl, she and the other residents paused at four familiar figures approaching: Jennifer, Sarah, Laura, and Judge Taran. Doc moved forward a few inches, standing protectively in front of Harley.

"Good morning." Judge Taran greeted.

"Morning." Sheriff greeted gruffly. "Where are Mr. and Mrs. Dows?"

"Apparently they left last night." Jennifer reported. "Didn't even tell anyone; just up and left town." _And took my money with them._

"So kin Harley stay?" Mater asked hopefully.

"Just because they left doesn't mean you're off the hook." Laura snapped.

"Thank you, Ms. Cadel." Judge Taran said, his tone warning her to be quiet. He looked to the townsfolk. "The point of our trial was to determine whether or not this is a suitable environment for the child and whether or not Dr. Hudson is a suitable guardian. I am close to making my decision, but first I need a little more information." He looked to Harley with a kind smile. "Ms. Hudson, may we talk for a while?"

Harley found the judge far less intimidating now, and she set her oatmeal down. She stood up, tall and proud and strong, and she nodded. "Yes sir." She followed Judge Taran back to the courthouse, leaving everyone else to wait patiently yet anxiously.

"What's going to happen if he decides to take her away?" Lightning demanded, glaring at Jennifer.

"She'll be placed in the foster system until she can be adopted." Sarah replied, not looking very happy about the thought.

"It'll be where she belongs." Jennifer huffed. "You should've sent her there the second she became an orphan."

"What good would that have done?" Doc demanded. "She was four; she would've been even more traumatized than she already was."

"And was that trauma taken into account when you forced her to live with you?" Jennifer demanded.

"Absolutely." Doc nodded without hesitation. "It's _because_ she was so upset that I insisted she go where she'll be with people she trusted. She trusts us; she clings to us like a lifeline. You take her away from us, it'll only hurt her."

Jennifer rolled her eyes, but said nothing. It seemed she was rather tired of arguing with them, and there was nothing any of them could do until Judge Taran came back with his verdict. The townsfolk tried to not let their anxiety get the better of them, but it was nerve-wracking waiting for Judge Taran and Harley to return.

Finally, after several minutes of waiting, everyone saw Harley and Judge Taran make their way back to the group. Breaths were held as Judge Taran looked out to everyone.

"After speaking with Harley, I have made my decision." Judge Taran said, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Given all the evidence gathered, including what happened last night, I have decided Ms. Harley Hudson is just fine where she is. This is a suitable environment for her to grow, and this is where she will stay."

He hardly finished his sentence when cheers erupted from the Radiator Springs residents, and Harley hurried forward to hug Doc. The townsfolk gathered around in a group hug, with Harley in the center of it. Jennifer and Laura looked annoyed and flabbergasted at the same time, but Sarah was smiling triumphantly. Harley hardly paid any attention to what was going on around her, only focusing on soaking up the warmth of the moment.

She was home, and nobody was gonna take her away.

* * *

 **A/N: Ugh, I'm not sure I like how I worded that ending. But it's what I got. Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm working on a new Sky-centric story, but the next story will be Harley-centric. It's already finished so I have to do some revising.**

 **Until next time!**


	7. Sparks Fly Part 1

**Sparks Fly – Part One**

The sonic boom of gunshots in the air. Bullets whizzing about and ricocheting or piercing the walls, floor, and ceiling. Boots pounding against the ground while tires squealed on the linoleum.

All in all, a typical mission for three master spies.

Emily Largo ducked as another bullet came dangerously close to her head, and she aimed her pistol behind her and fired a few shots. "Nothing like a life-or-death situation to get the blood pumping, huh?"

"Yes, _very_ funny Emily." Holley Shiftwell said with an eye roll.

"This way!" Finn McMissile ordered, leading them into a room and locking the door behind them. Their assailants pounded on the steel door, but it wouldn't budge. Finn began looking for a way out.

What started as stealthy surveillance turned into a shootout much faster than they anticipated. But the trio of spies long since became accustomed to such situations, even given the current team dynamics. After the World Grand Prix case, Emily began working with Finn and Holley more and more, especially with cases in North and South America. This case involved a greedy landscaper in Brazil who hired a doctor to develop a disease that could be transferred into the cattle of a small village and cause the people to die once consuming the meat. Finn, Holley, and Emily arrived to gather evidence, but once they had what they needed one of the workers spotted them. The chase began from there.

"ETA on that backup, Holley?" Finn asked.

"Twenty minutes." Holley reported, clearly not pleased. Their team at C.H.R.O.M.E. knew to already be on the way, but they couldn't attack until they had solid, physical proof. Finn, Holley, and Emily had it now, but they still had to stay alive until help came to capture everyone.

"What's the plan, Finn?" Emily asked.

Finn thought for a moment, looking around the room. It looked to be a storage area, with several crates piled against the walls and in the corners. A large window rested near the ceiling, a good twenty feet above them. The window led right to the outside. Finn directed Holley to the window, and the Jaguar activate her jet mode to hover in front of the window. The scene outside was only the forest behind the building. Meanwhile, their assailants began talking about blowing the door off with dynamite.

"We'll smash out the window and escape into the forest." Finn instructed. "We can hide out there until backup comes."

Holley and Emily nodded. Holley went first, smashing through the window to the outside. Emily hopped onto Finn's roof and Finn used his grappling hooks to pull them out the window. The spies hurried into the forest, looking for a place to hide. They soon found a densely vegetated area and dove behind the greenery, careful to keep quiet as they listened for word from their comrades or the sound of someone coming after them.

Emily looked to Finn, grinning a bit. She knew any plan Finn had would work somehow. She had to admit he certainly did impress her. It came as a surprise, given how much she didn't really like him when they first met. But since she began working with Finn and Holley more often, Emily found she opened up more and could be relaxed like she used to be with her old team. For some reason, she felt drawn to Finn. The master spy was something to behold: brave, smart, strong, witty, and very faithful. No wonder he was C.H.R.O.M.E.'s top agent. Beyond that, he was kind and friendly (to all except his enemies, of course) and rather handsome.

 _Handsome?_ Emily stole a glance to Finn before looking back out to the forest for attackers. _Well, I suppose Finn_ is _rather good-looking. He's charming and kind. You don't find qualities like that in men nowadays. But what am I thinking? Why on earth am I romanticizing my comrade-in-arms? Why do I feel my face burning when I'm near him?_ Something snapped in the bushes, and the spies crouched down farther in their hiding spot. Finn's tire touched Emily's knee, and while he didn't notice Emily felt herself blushing of all things. _I supposed I_ have _grown rather fond of him._

Luckily for them, the snapping in the bushes turned out to be their backup, and together they stormed the building to arrest everyone. Another mission accomplished.

"Where can we drop you off, Miss Largo?" Finn asked as they departed the scene.

"Oh, you don't need to go to such trouble." Emily said modestly.

"Not at all." Holley assured.

"Yeah, it'll be a short trip anyway!" Siddeley assured as the spies approached him.

"Well I wouldn't mind a ride back to base." Emily said. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Done!" Siddeley nodded. "Climb aboard, everyone!"

Everyone piled in, relaxing in the lounge area inside as the jet plane took off.

A few minutes into the flight, a call came over the video chat on the computer. Holley approached the computer and answered the call. She smiled happily at the sight of Mater's face in the video chat screen, his bucktooth grin a mile wide.

" _Heya Holley!"_ Mater called.

" _Hi Holley!"_ Harley's face popped up next to Mater in the screen. Her blue-streaked brunette hair once again hung only shoulder-length, the seventeen-year-old having since cut it over the summer.

"Mater! Harley!" Holley cried happily.

"Mater and Harley?" Finn repeated, him and Emily hurrying over to the monitor.

"Hey there, you two!" Emily greeted.

" _Hey guys!"_ Harley greeted. _"Geez, it's been a few months since we saw each other."_

"Been busy with work." Holley said sheepishly. "But it's so good to hear from you two."

" _Yeah, we've been busy here too."_ Mater admitted. _"McQueen's racin' an' all that."_

" _And I guess I've been pretty busy with homeschool stuff."_ Harley shrugged. _"Which is actually why we called you guys! I'm finishing my online homeschooling early, and I'll be graduating with my high school degree next month! A whole year earlier than expected!"_

"That's wonderful, Harley!" Finn complimented.

"Well done!" Holley nodded.

"Way to go, kiddo." Emily clapped.

" _The town's gunna throw a party fer her!"_ Mater said. _"Kin ya come down fer it?"_

"That sounds like a terrific idea." Holley agreed.

"I'm in." Emily nodded.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Finn assured. "It'd be nice to have a vacation for a while."

" _Great!"_ Harley cheered. _"Thanks so much, guys. I owe you one."_

"Not at all." Finn assured. "Just give us some time to file some paperwork from a mission we just finished and we'll let our bosses know what's going on. Can we say 'see you in two weeks'?"

" _That'll be perfect!"_ Harley nodded.

" _Can't wait ta see ya guys!"_ Mater called.

"Can't wait to see you two either!" Holley giggled. "Now shouldn't you two be in bed? It's awfully late over there."

" _We wanted to call you before we forgot."_ Harley shrugged. _"And we wanted to give you enough of a heads up so you could take time off work."_

"Thank you for the consideration." Finn said gratefully. "Now you two get to bed. We'll see you in two weeks."

* * *

In the week after their talk with Mater and Harley, Finn, Holley, and Emily found their jobs rather slow and steady. Not that they complained; it would be a nice prologue to their soon-to-be vacation.

Emily had yet to tell her supervisor about her intended vacation. Today, she wanted to talk to him about something entirely different.

"A transfer?" her supervisor, James Marshall, asked with some surprise. A seasoned agent himself, he still had the buff build and sharp, analytical gaze from his time in the field. Now, with his gray hair and formal black business suit, he watched over his current agents performing their duties as they had pledged when they entered the academy.

"Yes, sir." Emily nodded. "I wish to be transferred to C.H.R.O.M.E. in London."

"What for?" Marshall asked curiously.

"Personal reasons, sir." Emily said, knowing that alone would be enough of a reason. Marshall knew better than to ask about "personal reasons" for agents; more often than not, they seemed to involve protecting their families. "I wish to lend my services to them while being closer to a couple people very dear to me." Emily didn't dare mention Finn or Holley. If she did, it could greatly decrease her chances of Marshall agreeing.

Marshall thought for a moment. He knew Emily didn't have any family in London. Maybe some close friends? Yes, that had to be the reason. Still….. "I'm sorry, Ms. Largo. But I must deny your transfer."

Emily tensed up ever so slightly, and she blinked. "Sir?"

"My apologies." Marshall said sincerely. "I can certainly grant you some vacation time now and then to visit these friends of yours, but a full transfer can't be done. You're our best assassin. We need you here."

Emily looked down, but sighed. "Yes sir. I understand." She saluted her supervisor and left the room. The second she closed the office door, she glowered at the ground and began marching off to her office. She could understand why the agency wouldn't want to give up their best agents, but she hated this interference with her plans. Bad enough she felt like a good card in a poker hand, but now she couldn't accomplish her personal mission.

Unless….

* * *

Emily knew if she did this he would kill him. But it would be awfully funny. She grinned craftily as she snuck up on the young man sitting at a desk in an office area full of cubicles. The entire room was empty except for him, everyone else long since gone home for the night. The man had dark brown hair and cocoa brown eyes, those eyes currently glued to the computer he worked at. He wore a navy blue dress shirt and black dress pants, hunched over his keyboard. No doubt he was determined to finish those reports that weren't due until next week.

Eh, he could use a break.

Emily stopped right behind the man and slammed her hands on his shoulders. "Hey Quinn-y!"

The man screamed like a little girl, jumping a couple inches in the air and plopping down on his swivel chair again. He spun around and sighed in relief, putting a hand to his heart. "Emily! What'd you do that for?"

"You need a little excitement in your life, Quinn." Emily said. "You're in diagnostics, for heaven's sake."

"As your younger brother, I'd like to ask for a little respect in my workplace." Quinn said in a professional tone, turning back to his computer.

"You're still the baby of the family." A young woman said as she came to them, leaning on the wall of the cubicle. She was a carbon copy of Emily, but she stood a few inches shorter, kept her hair in a bun, and wore black sweatpants, boots, a black T-shirt, and a black leather jacket.

"Whatever, Lacey." Quinn rolled his eyes.

"Hey guys." Emily piped up, drawing her younger siblings' attention. "As much as I would love to play sibling smack-down, I need to talk to you two."

Quinn and Lacey knew what Emily meant. I need to talk to you two…..out of camera range. Clearly Emily wanted to talk about something personal, and she didn't want the security cameras around them to catch it. "Fine." Quinn sighed, standing and grabbing his jacket. "Let's get a drink."

Half an hour later, they sat in a bar downtown to talk. "So what's this about?" Lacey asked.

"I need to escape the agency for a while without Marshall knowing about it." Emily explained. "I'm going to be gone for a couple weeks. Quinn, you clock in my hours to make it look like I'm checking in and out every day. Don't record me down as on vacation. Lacey, you're one of our best assassins. I'll give you my email, and you take any cases handed to me."

"Em, what's this all about?" Quinn asked, he and Lacey suddenly concerned. "What do you think will happen to you if the agency finds out you went AWOL?"

"Guys, this is something I have to do." Emily said.

"But why?" Lacey asked. "You know we'll support you, but this is something really serious. It's bad enough to go AWOL in the military. As a spy, you could be imprisoned the rest of your life. Maybe even executed."

"I highly doubt I'll be executed." Emily said. "Besides, my record's been spotless since the academy. If I get caught, my punishment won't be that bad."

"Emily, why are you doing this?" Lacey asked.

"Yeah, why can't you do this on vacation?" Quinn asked.

"Because I may not have enough time while on a vacation." Emily said.

"What are you planning, Emily?" Quinn demanded.

Emily took a quick look around, fingering her margarita. "I'm pursuing a romantic affair. I…..uh….I've met someone that I think I love."

"Really?" Lacey nearly squealed.

Emily giggled softly. "He's from another agency. I want to get to know him in a non-work setting."

"That's awesome, Em." Quinn finally admitted.

"So what's he like?" Lacey asked excitedly.

"He's kind, gentlemanly, brave, and very handsome." Emily said, sighing a bit with a warm smile on her lips. "I really just want to know him better. See if he would be interested in me."

Quinn and Lacey exchanged looks. If Emily was found out, she and they could be in serious trouble. But they were a family, and they would do anything for each other. "All right, we'll do it." Quinn nodded.

"But be careful." Lacey said. "We can buy you time, but you only have so long before Marshall starts to get suspicious."

* * *

Harley sat on a lawn chair outside the clinic, her glasses on her head and a pair of binoculars practically glued to her eyes. She scanned the skies, like she did for the past hour, for only another moment until she spotted a familiar jet coming towards town. She leaped from the lawn chair, tossing the binoculars onto the chair and pulling her glasses over her eyes again. She skated hurriedly to Flo's café, skidding to a halt before her family. It was nine a.m., still a little too early for tourists but primetime for the Radiator Springs residents to have breakfast. Her vehicular family looked up amusedly, knowing their favorite brunette human girl probably woke up at the crack of dawn this morning.

"They're here!" Harley cried excitedly. "They're here they're here they're here! They're coming towards town now!"

"Can't wait to see 'em again, Harley darlin'." Sheriff said. Everyone became well-acquainted with Finn, Holley, and Emily. They could clearly see a strong bond formed between the spies and their own Harley and Mater. Pretty soon, Finn, Holley, Siddeley, and Emily were practically part of the family.

Soon, Lightning spotted four familiar figures coming towards the town. Siddeley, being a little too big to fit on the main road, stayed just outside of town while Finn, Holley, and Emily came towards them. Mater drove out first, nuzzling Holley lovingly. Holley returned the affectionate gesture. Harley hurriedly skated up and hugged Emily and Finn. She and Finn both felt that same shock they normally felt when they made contact, but they still didn't have any idea what it could be. At the moment, they were too happy to see each other again. Soon, the rest of the townsfolk began coming up and greeting the spies.

"Glad y'all could come up." Mater said happily.

"We already got a couple rooms at the Cozy Cone reserved for you." Sally said.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that." Holley said. "We don't want to be in the way."

"Not at all." Lightning assured. "Our home is your home."

"I'm gonna take some food to that nice jet you got out there. He looks parched." Flo said, joined by Mia and Tia to take a tray of food out to Siddeley.

"You are very kind." Finn said. "Thank you."

"So what have you guys been up to?" Harley asked excitedly, everyone returning to the café to chat. Finn and Harley spent much of the time talking to each other, chatting away about past missions and future schoolwork Harley has to finish for her graduation. Finn agreed to help her with her work, but Harley insisted on giving him, Holley, and Emily a full tour of Radiator Springs, including the Wheel Well and Willie's Butte. Holley and Mater knew at once they wanted to spend as much time together as possible, and Emily agreed she wanted to do a little bit of everything. The spies couldn't deny they rather liked the kind townsfolk of Radiator Springs.

Over the next few days, the spies' vacation came into full swing. Holley and Mater had a date night Mater planned for almost a month. Emily got a look into all of the shops in town and insisted on buying drinks for Sally and Flo so they could chat for a while. Harley gave Finn, Holley, and Emily that tour she promised and even spent an entire afternoon hanging out with Siddeley. One afternoon, Finn joined Harley to help with her final projects and papers for school. They talked and laughed as they worked, their friendship clearly strengthened since the mission of the World Grand Prix. Finn sometimes felt guilty about abandoning Harley in Porto Corsa and causing her would-be death. But Harley made it clear she didn't want Finn to blame himself. At the time, she was only terrified for his life and became so relieved when she helped him escape Big Bentley alive. Sometimes they pondered this strange spark they felt, but normally they chalked it up to static. Right now, Harley had some trouble with finishing a world history paper and Finn gave her a small history lesson he learned from his experience with British culture. In the process, Harley learned Finn had an Irish ancestry, and the two began to talk about their heritage.

Emily watched them talk, unseen by both them and anyone else. She frowned a bit, rather jealous of the warm interaction between Harley and Finn. _Finn can't be distracted by these things._ Emily thought, walking from her spying place.

The next day, Emily approached Harley as the brunette organized the tires in Luigi and Guido's store. Guido rearranged some whitewalls in the corner while Luigi stood outside talking with customers.

"Hey there, Harley." Emily greeted.

"Hey Emily." Harley greeted, standing up on the top rung of a ladder to count the tires on a shelf and make notes for Luigi's inventory.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Emily asked, arms crossed loosely.

"What about?" Harley asked, still doing her counting.

"I noticed you and Finn have been doing a lot of work with your online schooling." Emily said. "I just wanted to warn you to not bother Finn with trivial matters. He has many other things he needs to think about, even on vacation."

Harley blinked, staring at Emily with confusion and some hurt. A small part of her said she should feel insulted, but she pushed that part of her aside. "I certainly hope I'm not bothering Finn. I want you, Holley, Siddeley, and Finn to enjoy your time here. Besides, I can finish most of my remaining projects myself. I just need to turn in one more paper and then wait for my grades to get back in."

"Good." Emily nodded. "You're a very smart girl, Harley." Harley blushed a bit, giggling a "thanks." Emily chuckled. "On another note, I do want to let you know that I need to go out of town to take care of a work matter."

"Aw, I thought you were on vacation." Harley whined a little.

"It's just a small favor for a friend at work." Emily said. "I'm leaving tonight and I'll be back the day after tomorrow. Plenty of time before the party on Saturday."

Harley sighed. "Okay. Have fun wherever you're going, at least."

"Thank you, Harley." Emily nodded. "I'm sure I will."

* * *

To avoid suspicion, Emily decided she could stand to take a regular flight to her destination: Paris, France. Once she arrived, she took a taxi to the closest neighborhood to the black market and hurried to the shady marketplace. She ignored the calls of the vendors, walking briskly and purposefully.

 _Where could he be?_ Emily wondered, wandering around the market. Finally, she spotted a familiar three-wheeled car and marched up to him. "Tomber."

The French car jumped a bit and turned to see who approached him so bluntly. He relaxed with a rather bored expression. "Ah. Finn's new blonde friend."

"Indeed." Emily nodded. "I'd like to talk to you about something."

Tomber wasn't in the mood, but he figured if he didn't do what Emily said he'd regret it later when she refused to stop pestering him. So he led her to his garage and shut the door behind them, giving them the privacy they needed to talk. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Finn." Emily said. "What's he like?"

"You ought to know, eh?" Tomber scoffed. "You've worked with him before."

"Yes, but I don't know him personally." Emily shrugged. "What does it take to be his friend?"

Tomber narrowed his eyes. Anyone trying to dig up information about Finn couldn't be doing anything safe…or legal. Beyond that, something in his stomach told him to be careful when talking about the British spy. "Why do you want to know? What is so concerning about Finn that you can't talk to him about it?"

"What I have to talk about is not something I can just ask him." Emily scoffed.

"What _do_ you want to talk about?" Tomber demanded.

Emily sighed, rolling her eyes. "I want to know Finn's choice in women."

Tomber paused, and then burst out laughing. "Women? Are you serious?"

"Absolutely." Emily nodded.

Tomber laughed. "Madame, Finn isn't exactly looking for a relationship at the moment. I can't think of a time when he ever was!"

"I'm sure I can change his mind." Emily said confidently.

Tomber suddenly picked up the distinct feeling that this conversation was going in a different direction than he had in mind. "Change his mind how?"

Emily smirked, a hand on her hip. "I have my ways of turning men into putty in my hands."

If he didn't have the proper willpower to fight it, Tomber would've gagged. He wasn't sure he believed in a vehicle/human relationship. Those things didn't seem to work out in a romantic sense; at least, not in his head they didn't. Plus, Finn and Emily? Together? Not in a million years. They had very little in common, if anything at all. "Do not try and force yourself on him, Blonde." Tomber warned. "Finn can be rather reserved with his friendships. He is often mistrustful of romantic relationships. You would be better off forgetting about it."

Tomber suddenly got the feeling he said the wrong thing, because Emily's eyes developed a darkness he only saw in the shadiest and evilest of black market dealers. Her tone became dangerous as she spoke, her posture straight and tall. "Trust me. I will be able to persuade him to see it my way. Thank you for your help, Tomber. But do me a favor and don't let Finn know I came by. I want my feelings to be a surprise for him." She turned on her heel and marched off, almost slamming the door shut behind her.

For a moment, Tomber seemed frozen. Then nervousness washed over him. Was Finn going to be okay? This woman was a spy; she would have ways of hurting Finn that no normal woman would have. Tomber shook his hood, beginning to rummage through his shelves for a part a client requested of him. Why should he care about Finn's safety? It wasn't his problem.

Was it?

Tomber paused, thinking back to when he first met Finn. Tomber used to be teased for the fact that he had three wheels instead of four. He was too different from his classmates, and they often did what they could to make him trip over his own tires. He hated it. He hated them. He hated himself. Even as a child, he thought about running away and never coming back. Then one day, as he parked behind a dumpster and cried over his pitiful existence, someone had come up to him: a young Aston Martin.

 _What are you doing back here?_

 _Nothing. What are you doing here? Do you want to torment me too?_

 _Of course not. Why would I?_

The fact that the Aston Martin asked him "Why would I?" surprised Tomber. He was different. That's why people always teased him. But not this strange silvery-blue car with the warm smile.

 _What's your name?_

 _Tomber. What about you?_

 _Finn. Finn McMissile._

Finn and Tomber traveled down different paths of life, but they were still friends. _That's_ why the fact that Finn could be in danger was Tomber's problem. Tomber moved to his phone in the corner and dialed a number only a few cars knew.

After two rings, Finn picked up. _"Tomber. This is certainly a surprise."_ Finn said, sounding sincerely surprised.

"I know, but it is important." Tomber said. "I need to talk to you, Finn. Face to face. Can you come to Paris?"

" _Right now?"_

"As soon as you can."

A pause. _"I'll come by tomorrow on Siddeley. But what's this all about?"_

"I'll explain when you get here." Tomber said. "I don't want anyone listening in on this call."

" _Well, all right. I trust you."_ Finn said before hanging up. Tomber nodded in satisfaction and resumed his search for the part his client wanted.

What he didn't know was Emily still stood outside the garage door, and she heard the entire conversation. She glared hard, beginning to walk off and pulling out her cell phone. She dialed a number and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hey. It's me. I am in need of your services."

* * *

It seemed like a normal day in Radiator Springs, even with Mater and Harley's spy friends in town. Mater, Finn, and Holley parked at Flo's and talked for a while when Harley suddenly skated up to them.

"There you are!" Harley said excitedly, looking to Finn and Holley. "I've been looking for you guys!"

"Whatever for?" Holley asked with a small giggle.

"I just realized that in all of my excitement, I totally forgot to introduce you to my dad!" Harley laughed.

Finn and Holley jolted a bit. "Your father?" Finn asked. "Doctor Hudson?"

"Yeah, come on!" Harley called excitedly, beginning to skate further into town. Finn and Holley exchanged looks. Didn't Mater tell them Harley's surrogate father died some years ago? But when they looked to Mater, the tow truck only smiled and gave an encouraging nod. So the two spy cars followed Harley further down Main Street and out of town, towards the mesa behind Radiator Springs. When they reached the foot of the mesa, Finn and Holley began to understand. Two headstones rested where Harley stopped, one weathered from age and one much newer.

"Harley?" Holley asked, her voice soft.

Harley pointed to the weathered headstone. "That's Stanley. He founded the town." She knelt down in front of the newer headstone. "This is Doc, my daddy." She patted the dirt in front of the headstone. "Hey Daddy. I want you to meet my new friends: Finn McMissile and Holley Shiftwell. They're the spies I told you about. Totally forgot to introduce you the last time they were here." She looked to Finn and Holley. "Don't be shy. Come and say 'hello.'"

Holley and Finn weren't sure they wanted to. Harley's rather upbeat attitude despite the situation felt rather off-putting. But they obeyed and rolled up to park on either side of Harley. "Hello." Holley greeted the headstone.

"Pleased to meet you." Finn said to the headstone. Harley smiled warmly, and the three of them sat in silence for a long moment.

"Doc took me in right after the fire that killed my parents." Harley said. "My dad tried to blow us all up, but my mom managed to save me. Sheriff got me out of the fire. Doc gave me a new home. I have to admit it was a lot better than my old home. Doc was more of a daddy to me than my real one." She patted the dirt that covered Doc's corpse several feet below. "I know he's always with me."

Holley did her best to hold back her tears. Finn gave Harley a gentle nuzzle, and she leaned into his touch. The three of them sat in silence, in remembrance and mourning, when Finn's phone suddenly rang and nearly ruined the moment. Finn apologized, driving off to one side to answer the call. Holley moved closer to Harley, the two of them continuing to stare at the grave.

"It's nice to see you aren't so upset about this." Holley noted.

"Believe me, I was devastated at first." Harley assured. "But it's getting easier. I always know he's watching over me. Sometimes, I can feel it in my psyche human powers that he's close by."

"Wish I could do the same." Holley said. "What I'd give to be able to speak with my father."

"What happened to him?" Harley asked.

"I'm not sure." Holley admitted. "He was never around. I never did get the chance to meet him, but I certainly hope I do someday."

Harley smiled warmly. "I hope so too." Holley smiled back and gave the girl an affectionate nuzzle. They looked up as Finn returned, a somewhat troubled look in his eyes and a frown on his lips. "What's the matter?"

"That was Tomber." Finn answered. "He wants to see me."

* * *

Tomber waited patiently in his garage for Finn to arrive. He busied himself by organizing his shop, making sure everything was in its place and looking somewhat presentable. Not that he cared what Finn thought of the messy organization of his shop.

Tomber heard tires on cobblestone, and he turned to greet Finn at the garage door. But he paused when, instead of Finn, he saw a royal blue and a burnt orange truck and a human man entering the shop. The men seemed to scream "shady," and Tomber couldn't remember ever seeing them before in the black market.

"I am sorry, gentlemen, but my shop is closed." Tomber said, hoping the men would take a hint and leave.

The men said nothing for a moment. "You Tomber?" the human asked.

"Who wants to know?" Tomber demanded.

The men went silent again. The burnt orange truck pressed a button on the ground and shut the garage door, pressing another button to lock it and leave Tomber alone in the shop with the strange men.

* * *

Finn intended to go alone to France, but Holley insisted she come for backup. Harley echoed the sentiments, and Mater joined in. So Finn finally agreed for the three of them to accompany him in answering Tomber's calls. After Siddeley dropped them off, they went straight into the black market area and Finn led the way to Tomber's garage.

"What do you think Tomber wants?" Harley asked curiously.

"Not sure." Finn said. "He sounded urgent, though. Must be important."

"Are we sure we can trust him?" Holley asked. "I do still feel guilty over the whole Taser incident, but given where he works….."

"Tomber is still loyal to the agency, or at least to me." Finn assured. "Would you believe I actually met him at the academy?"

"That three-wheeled feller is a spy?" Mater asked, remembering to keep quiet so nobody else heard.

"Not exactly." Finn said. "Tomber had a bit of a kleptomania problem as a child. He was actually kicked out of the school for stealing other students' things and selling them. But I saw much potential in him, so I helped him find the black market here in Paris. In return, he acts as my informant should I ever need help with a case."

"You actually helped him find this place?" Harley looked around at the black market, glaring irately at the men who kept wolf whistling at her and Holley.

Finn chuckled. "It's where he belongs, if you can believe it. He always seemed so happy here. Rest assured, he's still a good ol' chap." He looked around. "His garage should just be right around—" As they rounded a corner, Finn stopped and blinked in surprise. His friends followed suit, staring at the crowd gathered around a garage just ahead of them. Finn drove forward, Harley, Holley, and Mater following him to what they fearfully assumed was Tomber's garage. They politely pushed through the crowd to reach the door, peering inside. Their expressions turned to ones of horror when they saw paramedics surrounding Tomber, the old three-wheeled car very beaten. His metal hide was crumpled and dented in several places and one of his back wheels stuck out at an odd angle, possibly from a broken axle. His eyes remained shut and his breathing shallow, practically nonexistent. The paramedics struggled to revive him, trying to push new oil into his system to replenish what he lost. A pool of oil rested around Tomber's wheels.

"Good Ford in heaven." Holley breathed.

"How could this happen?" Finn whispered.

Harley looked to Finn, then back to Tomber. She glared in determination. "Finn, just how much did he mean to you?"

"What?" Finn asked.

"How much did Tomber mean to you?" Harley repeated urgently.

Finn still seemed confused, but frowned. "Treacherous low-life he may be, he's still my friend."

"That's all I need to know. Now translate for me because I can't speak French." Harley ordered. Finn was confused, but quickly obeyed as Harley pushed her way into the garage and began barking orders at the paramedics. They all stood back at her command, and she began adjusting the oil drip. Finn hurriedly explained Harley's experience in medical practice, watching the brunette work. It seemed all that practice being Doc's volunteer nurse was about to pay off. Harley knelt in front of Tomber's grill, cold oil splashing against her knees. But she put both hands on Tomber's hood and focused.

Her eyes went from crystal blue to snow-white. _Come on, Tomber. You're not dying on me now._ Several agonizing seconds later, she felt a pull in her psyche human powers and focused fully on it. Harley felt the faintest pulses of life, of Tomber's life, and she pushed more of her power forth. She gritted her teeth a bit at the spots of pain flaring up, some of Tomber's worst wounds healing just enough to take him out of critical condition.

Suddenly, Tomber inhaled deeply and started coughing. Harley's eyes returned to normal and she sighed, willing leftover pain to go away. Tomber's eyes fluttered open, and he first became aware of Finn smiling in relief. Tomber glanced over to see Harley adjusting his oil drip, the fluids running into his system to fix his oil loss. The paramedics began clearing a path to get Tomber to the ambulance. Harley started to stand, but Tomber nudged her and she paused. He murmured something so softly Harley couldn't even hear him. She leaned down closer to Tomber's mouth.

"Finn….danger….protect…him…." Tomber rasped. He slipped away into unconsciousness, and the paramedics hurriedly loaded him into the ambulance. The crowd dispersed, and Finn, Holley, and Mater came to Harley.

"Nice job, Sissy." Mater complimented.

"Very well done." Holley agreed.

"Thanks." Harley nodded aimlessly, standing and not noticing the oil trickling down her legs.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked.

Harley told them what Tomber told her. "Finn, can you think of anyone who would want you dead?"

"I've put quite a few people in jail, Harley." Finn said. "But I can't think of anyone who would hurt Tomber to get to me. Not many people even know about him."

Holley spotted something on the shelves. "I wonder if whoever attacked him knew he was smart enough to keep surveillance." The others followed her gaze to see a camera up on one of the shelves, discretely placed amongst other cameras but with a small red light shining on to show it recorded. Holley quickly made copies of the footage from the past couple days and they all departed for Siddeley to return to Radiator Springs. Holley played the footage over one of the computer monitors.

They all winced in sympathy at the sight of Tomber's beating. "Poor feller." Mater breathed.

Holley rewound the footage and paused, zooming in on a strange logo on the side of the trucks. "I've seen this symbol before. This organization is known in the criminal and spy world as a place to hire ruffians for grunt work."

"So if you need workers or want someone beat up, you call them." Harley guessed.

"Indeed." Holley looked quite disgusted.

"These men respond promptly to requests." Finn said. "Rewind the footage. Let's see who was in contact with Tomber recently." Holley obeyed, but as they watched the rewinding film they only saw humans and cars Finn identified as clients and other black market dealers.

Then, they saw someone else. "That's Emily!" Harley realized.

"How come dere's no sound?" Mater asked.

"The camera only captures video." Holley said. "What could Emily be doing there?"

"She told me the other day she was called in for a work thing." Harley said. They all exchange looks, confused and somewhat suspicious.

* * *

When they arrived back in Radiator Springs, they didn't see Emily again until the next morning. Finn and Holley approached their human spy friend and told her about Tomber. They didn't mention Tomber survived, just in case.

"My goodness." Emily seemed shocked. "The poor guy."

"We actually found security footage that showed you talking to him." Holley said. "What was it about?"

"Harley said you had a work issue?" Finn added.

"Yeah, a buddy in my department called asking for a favor." Emily shrugged. "I had to fly to Paris and help him track down a stolen part. Tomber was helping me."

"Oh, I see." Finn nodded. The conversation ended soon after that, but Finn got the distinct feeling something wasn't right about all this. He shook it off. Emily was their friend, and she may be annoyed by Tomber but she would never hurt him or any of them.

Still, the way she stared at him sometimes was starting to get suspicious.

* * *

 **A/N: I know, I know. Okay, everyone, all together now: YUCK! EMILY IS SO CRUSHING ON FINN! Yeah, but would you believe me if I had this in mind since I first introduced Emily's character? Also, I hope you like the little snippet of Tomber's past. I like to think that he and Finn knew each other for a long time, even at the academy (I think a lot of people believe that).**

 **Hope you enjoy it so far! Read and review!**


	8. Sparks Fly Part 2

**Sparks Fly – Part Two**

It wasn't very often Radiator Springs became empty like it did when the Interstate first opened. But to celebrate Harley's graduation, the townsfolk shut down the entire town and everyone drove up to the Wheel Well for the party. Tomber, still in the hospital, gave his best wishes. Nobody knew he was terrified to reveal his conversation with Emily and decided to keep silent in case she came after him.

At the Wheel Well, Sally and Flo presented Harley with a large cake that read "Congratulations, our little desert dweller!" Everyone congratulated Harley, who accepted the praise modestly. But everyone knew she deserved the attention; she got her high school degree a year early and with honors. The townsfolk each took turns giving a small speech about Harley, who either did her best to not cry or rolled her eyes. Sheriff, her legal guardian since Doc's death, insisted on a sort of father/daughter dance to honor the event.

As the party continued, Harley finally found a moment to sit down and relax from all the craziness. Holley and Emily came over to join her. "Congratulations again, Harley." Holley said.

"Thanks." Harley sighed. "It's been a little hectic, but Finn was a great help finishing my school stuff."

"Do you have any plans for college?" Holley asked. "Or any post-graduation plans at all?"

"No, not really." Harley admitted. "I still work around Radiator Springs for the most part, and I'm still Lightning's crew chief. That's not too bad for someone with just a high school degree. I'm not sure I want to go to college, at least not yet. Whatever I decide to do, I want to be able to use my psyche human powers. I seem to have quite a knack for healing abilities. It was almost expected. Look at my psyche human birthmark." She pulled off one of her skates to show her birthmark resting on her ankle. It looked like the symbol for medicine, but instead of a winged rod with intertwined snakes the mark depicted a sword with wings on the hilt and snakes intertwined around the blade.

"How interesting." Holley mused. "You know, perhaps a few years in the C.H.R.O.M.E. Academy would be good for you."

Harley thought about it for a moment. A spy academy? That sounded much more interesting than a regular college. Maybe she could learn to be a field medic or something. "Yeah. Yeah, that could be interesting."

"You must be careful, Harley." Emily warned. "To be a spy would be very dangerous."

Harley nodded. "I know. I'm not sure if I would want to be a spy, but like I said, I don't have any specific plans." Emily bobbed her head a bit, staring off into a seemingly random direction. Mater hurriedly pulled Holley away for a dance, the two of them laughing happily. Harley watched Emily for a moment before following the older woman's gaze to settle on Finn across the dance floor. Harley thought back to Emily's behavior throughout the past couple days. For some reason, Emily seemed to act strangely hostile, especially when Harley or Holley hung around Finn. Harley tried to push her unease aside; Emily was their friend, and she wouldn't do anything to hurt them. So why couldn't Harley shake that bad feeling she got in the pit of her stomach?

 _Time to test a theory._ Harley stood and skated off, weaving her way through her family to approach Finn. "Hey Finn!"

Finn had been reading a book he brought with him, but looked up at Harley's call. He smiled warmly. "Hello, Harley. Congratulations."

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that tonight." Harley giggled. "I do want to thank you, Finn. You were a great help when I was finishing my projects and papers."

"It was my pleasure." Finn assured. "I'm happy I could be of help."

"You really are a great friend. Leland was really lucky." Harley said. Finn's smile faltered a bit, and his eyes took on a faraway glance. Harley mentally kicked herself. "S-sorry. I keep forgetting about that."

"No, no, it's fine." Finn assured. "Leland was a good chap. I don't always like to think about him, though."

Harley nodded in understanding, tugging on the sleeve of her jacket. She rubbed "T" on the "Twin Horsepower" sticker. "I don't always like to talk about my dad, either. I guess it just hurts too much if I think about him a lot."

"Hey Harley!"

Harley nearly jumped out of her skin when Emily suddenly appeared next to Finn. Harley looked back to the table she and Emily once sat at, but Emily truly stood in front of her. _When the heck did she move?_

"Hey, that little Italian forklift is looking for you." Emily said.

"Oh, okay." Harley nodded, bidding Finn and Emily goodbye before skating off. She looked back and noticed Emily cast a look to Finn and walked away. Harley shook her head, continuing her skating to find Guido. _Emily wouldn't do anything to hurt us, right?_

* * *

Due to their vacation time, Finn, Holley, Siddeley, and Emily would be staying in Radiator Springs for another week after the party. Finn and Holley considered going back early, but Harley and Mater insisted they stay as long as they could. Clearly the two residents missed their spy friends when they were off on their missions or doing their jobs. The last time they came to visit, they were abruptly called away for a mission. Mater and Harley joined them once or twice for missions, mostly doing the non-threatening jobs like looking up information or sneaking into places and planting cameras. Siddeley encouraged Finn to take advantage of their break, although secretly the jet plane also wanted to relax a little longer. He also formed a bond with Harley, and spent just as much time with her as she did with the other spies.

Most of all, Mater just wanted to spend some quality time with Holley. The two gave a whole new meaning to "odd couple," but everyone could see they were happy. While they went on a few picnics and dinner dates, their partners-in-crime spent their own time together. Finn found great comfort in Harley's company seeing how the girl often reminded him of Leland. She always knew how to make him smile or laugh, and the energetic nature of the girl almost mirrored Leland's own excitable personality. Harley also felt her bond with Finn growing stronger with every hour they spent in each other's company. In some ways, Finn reminded Harley of Doc. He was kind, caring, brave, and always looked out for the people he cared about. The times Finn and Harley spent alone together they spent chatting away about various subjects from "what do you do in London for fun?" to "how do your psyche human healing abilities work?"

Harley paid more attention to Emily's behavior as the days passed. She seemed stressed about something. She never really talked to anyone anymore and she constantly seemed to be on her phone. Harley would've assumed it only work-related stress if she didn't notice the looks Emily cast towards Finn. They seemed to be of longing, like all Emily wanted was to be near him. When Harley was with Finn, she could see clear hostility in Emily's eyes. Harley felt brief moments of panic when she saw those subtle glares, and for a split-second she prepared to fight back in case Emily attacked. It seemed she needed to remind herself, again, that Emily could never hurt them. She was their friend.

But Doc always told her to trust her gut instinct. So Harley decided it would be best to tread lightly.

One night, a couple days after the party, Mater hurriedly drove up to Finn, Holley, Harley, and Sheriff as they sat at Flo's Café. "Hey Finn! Holley! Kin we go fer a drive?"

"Whatever for?" Holley giggled at her boyfriend's enthusiasm.

"It'll be fun!" Mater said. "I kin show ya da countryside when it's dark!"

"I think that's a splendid idea." Finn nodded.

"Let's go!" Mater yipped, beginning to drive off with Finn and Holley beside him.

"Have fun!" Harley waved after the departing cars. "It's nice they're getting some time to hang out together."

"Yeah, but it is Mater we're talkin' about." Sheriff reminded her. "Who knows what might happen?"

"They'll be fine." Harley assured. "I know it."

* * *

"Mater, have you lost your mind?" Finn hissed, sounding almost panicked.

"Oh come on, you'll love it!" Mater giggled quietly. He stared in excited anticipation at the field of tractors just down the hill. Holley seemed confused yet curious while Finn just looked weirded out. It turned out that Mater's suggestion of a drive was just an excuse to keep Sheriff of his bumper, and in reality the tow truck led his spy friends to the tractor field to introduce them to tractor tipping.

"You're sure this won't hurt the poor things?" Holley asked as they drove towards the fence lining the pasture.

"Course not!" Mater whispered. "I do this all the time!"

"Mater, something about this seems rather…" Finn struggled to find the right word. "…..illegal."

"Don' worry 'bout it!" Mater assured, encouraging the two of them into the pasture. "It'll be fun!" Finn and Holley shared a look, but realized they couldn't say "no" to Mater's puppy-dog-pouting eyes. So they followed Mater deeper into the field, staying a short distance away while Mater demonstrated how to tractor tip. The two British spies jumped at the sound of Mater's flat horn piercing the quiet night air, and they tilted to one side in confusion when the tractor reared up and fell back. Mater just laughed like he heard the best joke in the world.

"Mater, I'm not sure we can do this." Holley said.

"Ya got horns, don'tcha?" Mater said.

"Well, yes, but—" Finn said uncertainly.

"C'mon, please?" Mater pouted a bit. Holley and Finn shared another look, and they found out why they couldn't say "no" to that look Mater gave them. He was just trying to show something special to him and share it with his friends. It was strange albeit dumb, but it was important to him. Holley sighed a bit, quietly driving up to another tractor. She cast a look to Finn and Mater. Mater nodded excitedly while Finn gave a little shrug. Holley exhaled, and then glared in determination. She blared her horn, the sound crisp and loud. The tractor's eyes flew open, and Holley quickly returned to Mater's side. They watched the tractor tip over and backfire. Mater burst out laughing, and Holley giggled a bit.

"That _is_ rather fun." Holley admitted. "Go on, Finn! You must try it!"

"I'm not so sure about this." Finn said, a little nervously.

"Please?" Mater practically begged.

"Do at least try it, Finn." Holley encouraged. "If I did, so do you."

Finn sighed. "All right." He drove towards a tractor nearby, staring at the animal for a moment. He cast a look to Mater and Holley, who only nodded encouragingly. Finn looked back to the animal. _Oh I can't believe I'm doing this._ But, not wanting to disappoint Mater or Holley, he tensed up on his axles a bit and let out a blast from his horn. The tractor reared up and backfired, per the usual. Mater burst out laughing and Holley erupted into quiet giggles. Finn only stared back and forth between the fallen tractor and his friends. _How on earth is this supposed to be fun?_ Finn wondered. If anything, this just felt awkward.

Mater's and Holley's laughter dwindled down to nothing, but not just because of the look on Finn's face. Finn perked up a bit at a low yet loud bellow. The three of them glanced to the bushes, where light shone from the other side.

"Mater?" Holley intoned, a little fearfully. "What is that?"

Mater gulped. "Frank."

Before Finn or Holley could ask, a section of the bushes became torn to shreds and a large threshing machine bull appeared, bellowing at them. Holley let out a shocked scream, and Finn suddenly unloaded his gun out of instinct. Mater slammed into Finn's fender, knocking him to one side so the bullet he fired hit the ground instead of Frank.

"Don' shoot 'im!" Mater yelled as Frank charged towards them. "RUN!" He sped off, Holley and Finn hurrying after him. A section of the fence had only a plank of wood in the middle, just enough for the tractors to not get out and still low enough for the three of them to leap over it and continue driving. Once they couldn't see the pasture anymore, they slowed to a halt and panted a bit.

"Well….." Holley sighed with a weak smile. "That was…..exciting….."

Mater laughed hard. "You bet!"

"That was _not_ exciting!" Finn suddenly snapped. "That was dangerous!"

"Oh relax!" Mater rolled his eyes. "I do dat almost ev'ry night!"

"What?" Finn gaped a bit. "Are you insane? We could've been killed in there!"

"Aren't you the one who always says 'You never feel more alive than when you're almost dead'?" Holley pointed out.

"Yeah, how is dis any different from bein' a spy?" Mater asked nonchalantly.

"Our line of work requires us to deal with dangerous situations when they occur." Finn said, his eyes settling into a glare he focused on Mater. "Purposefully putting your life in danger is _not_ part of the job!"

"Ye weren't in danger." Mater shrugged. "Ye were with me!"

"Exactly!" Finn snapped. "Did it occur to you that if someone had gotten hurt, it would've been your fault?"

"Nobody was gonna git hurt!" Mater snapped back, beginning to grow irritated.

"Mater…Finn…" Holley said warningly, trying to keep them calm. But the two men faced each other fully, seeming to not notice her.

"You don't know what could've happened, Mater." Finn sounded like he scolded Mater. "Did you ever think about what we were supposed to do if one of us became injured?"

"Ye didn't have to worry 'bout it!" Mater snapped, the angry tone so foreign when it came from the normally cheery tow truck. "Yer my friends, an' I woulda made sure ya got back safe."

"A good friend would've avoided the dangerous situation in the first place." Finn countered.

"Dis comin' from the one who says 'friendships are dangerous.'" Mater scoffed. "Ye don' have many friends, do ya?"

It became silent. Even the crickets didn't chirp. Holley stared as Finn's glare deepened. But she could see some sorrow mixed into that angry glare. Mater didn't let his glare down, but he got a feeling he said something he probably shouldn't have.

"I don't need friends in my line of work." Finn finally said. "Least of all friends like you." He turned and began driving off back to town.

Mater felt a flash of shock and pain from that statement, but he stubbornly kept his glare. "Fine." He began following Finn, keeping a good amount of distance between them.

Holley kept beside Mater, casting worried glances between him and Finn and wondering how a simple night out could've gone so wrong.

* * *

Harley waited by the entrance of town for Mater, Finn, and Holley to return. Most everyone else went to bed already or lounged in their homes. Harley just wanted to make sure her friends got home all right. She liked to look out for her family and friends, assuring that everyone was well taken care of. If someone needed help, darn it all, Harley would help them.

That seemed to be the case tonight as Finn suddenly appeared sans Mater and Holley. "Hey Finn." Harley greeted cheerily. Her smile fell when she noticed Finn's irritated glare. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Finn said in a crisp, bitter tone. He drove right past her, not even sparing a glance as he made his way to the Cozy Cone.

Harley felt a quick sting of hurt, but she turned to see Mater and Holley finally arriving in town. Mater murmured a "goodnight" to Holley and disappeared into his junkyard home. Holley paused as she approached Harley, who stared at her in shock. "What the heck happened?" Harley finally asked.

"There was…..a complication." Holley said.

"I picked up on that much." Harley muttered, staring after Finn worriedly. "Care to explain?"

Meanwhile, Finn finally made it to the Cozy Cone and started making his way to his room. All he wanted was to go to bed and forget tonight ever happened. Somehow, he knew when he woke up the next morning he would just be irritated again.

"Hey McMissile. What are you doing out so late?"

Finn paused and turned to see Emily leaning against the pole of the Cozy Cone sign. She seemed to have positioned herself in a way that accented her curves, which were already so defined they didn't really need to be shown off. She smiled softly, her eyes alluring to any man except the one currently in front of her.

"I'm actually just going to bed now." Finn said, a little confused by Emily's behavior.

"May I join you?" Emily asked, standing up straight and beginning to walk towards him.

Finn jolted a bit. "I beg your pardon?"

Emily giggled softly, only furthering the awkwardness of the situation for Finn. "I'm sorry, did that not come out right? I would've thought you'd appreciate an up-front woman."

Confusion engulfed Finn for all of two seconds before he realized what was happening. Emily was… _flirting_ with him? "Miss Largo, I am really not in the mood right now."

"Well, maybe I can help put you in a better mood." Emily suggested, tracing a finger over Finn's fender.

Finn quickly reversed from her, and he noticed her smile falter. "I'm flattered, really." Finn said, thankful he still had some skills in lying. Truthfully, he kind of wanted to throw up. "But you can't truly believe that this—" He pointed to himself and to Emily with one tire. "—would make any sense in any situation."

"I don't see why not." Emily shrugged, stepping towards him again. Finn backed up a few inches, and she stopped. "Come on, Finn, you're not _that_ cold-hearted."

Finn glared. First Mater dismissing his attempts to look out for their safety, and now Emily is calling him cold-hearted? This just wasn't his night. "Miss Largo, I'm only going to ask once that you abandon this frivolous matter."

"Frivolous?" Emily repeated, appalled.

"Friendships are dangerous in the line of work for a spy." Finn reminded her. "Romantic affairs are the equivalent of committing suicide."

"Not if that 'affair' is between two spies, who know what they're doing." Emily protested, putting air quotes around "affair."

"I don't think you really know what you're doing." Finn countered. "And I recommend you really take the time to think before you do something you'll regret later." He began driving off, passing a shocked Emily on the way.

"Don't drive away from me, Finn McMissile!" Emily snapped, turning and staring after the Aston Martin.

"Just leave me alone!" Finn snapped.

"Don't turn away from me, Finn!" Emily growled. "Or else things are going to get very bad for you."

Finn ignored her, driving right into his Cozy Cone room and shutting the door behind him. Emily glared hard, her nostrils flaring a bit as she panted angrily. Almost snarling to herself, she turned on her heel and marched off into the desert.

 _He rejected me._ Emily growled to herself, seeking solace in a long walk through the darkness of the desert. _He rejected me. What is he thinking? He would be lucky to have me._ She stopped growling, but her glare didn't lessen. "You'll change your mind, Finn. I know you will."

* * *

Over the next couple days, everyone noticed the new tension between Mater and Finn. The two cars refused to speak to each other, much less make eye contact. Harley was at a loss. When Holley told her what happened, Harley knew she had to do something to bring the two back together again. She didn't want to take sides in fear of losing a friend or a brother. But what could she do in such a delicate situation? Harley and Holley spent an afternoon talking, figuring out a plan to get Mater and Finn to see eye-to-eye.

It took the entire afternoon, but they finally found a way.

Holley, Finn, Emily, and Siddeley were scheduled to leave and go back to work in just three more days. Holley approached Mater and invited him to a dinner date up at the Wheel Well.

"Just one more night out before I have to leave." Holley said. "You never know when we'll see each other face-to-face again."

Mater happily agreed, the two of them driving up that night. Sally scored them the perfect table where they could talk (seeing how Harley recruited the Porsche in the plan). Holley and Mater spent most of their date talking and laughing, enjoying their time together before Holley had to leave again. Mater knew he couldn't keep Holley from her job, but he hated the time they spent away from each other. Holley felt the same; she loved Mater so much, but sometimes it felt like her job got in the way of their relationship. They did their best to make it work, and so far everything was going all right.

Soon, Holley found her opportunity to bring up her real reason for taking Mater up here. "So, about Finn….."

Mater smiled until he heard the Aston Martin's name, and he suddenly frowned. "I don' wanna talk 'bout him."

"Well, too bad, we're going to anyway." Holley said, smiling warmly.

Mater sighed. "It ain't mah fault he's so tense. He's the one who chose ta be a spy."

"That's right, he did." Holley nodded. "And being a spy is nothing to sneeze at. It can be dangerous."

"So why was he so upset 'bout tractor tippin'?" Mater asked, both frustrated and confused.

"He was upset because he thought one of us would be hurt." Holley explained gently. "He was only worried about our safety." She looked down a bit. "It's easy to understand when you learn what's happened to him."

Mater perked up, suddenly interested in this new information about Finn. "Whaddya mean? What happened to Finn?"

"Well, I actually asked Siddeley about Finn's behavior, and he told me about this." Holley said, beginning her story. "When Finn was in the academy, he had a very good friend named Leland Turbo. According to Siddeley, who also went to the academy with Finn and Leland, the two of them were inseparable. It was like they were brothers."

"Like me an' Lightnin'?" Mater asked, smiling.

Holley giggled. "Yes, Mater. _Very_ much like your bond with McQueen. Finn and Leland used to get in and out of trouble all the time, although usually it seemed that Finn was the one getting them out of the trouble they got into. Finn took it upon himself to make sure Leland always made it out of tough spots all right, and it only made their bond grow stronger."

Mater tried to imagine Finn with a best friend like Leland, and the smile Finn must've worn when they spent time together. He couldn't deny that as he thought of this, he thought of the smile Lightning gave to him in their time together. Mater would always be thankful to have Lightning McQueen as his best friend. Maybe Finn felt the same way about this Leland.

"You think I could meet dis Leland Turbo feller?" Mater asked.

Holley's happy expression steadily morphed to a sorrowful one. "I'm afraid not, Mater. You see, before the World Grand Prix even started, Leland discovered the secret oil field Axlerod owned. Siddeley told me Leland tried to call Finn for backup because his cover had been compromised. But when Finn arrived, he was too late; Leland had been killed."

The oil in Mater's lines suddenly ran cold. "Killed?" Mater breathed.

Holley nodded solemnly. "Finn may say that friendships are dangerous, but he truly values friendship and familial bonds more than anything else. He and Leland were so close, and they spent so much time getting each other out of tough spots. That's why Leland's death hit him so hard: the one time Finn couldn't get Leland out of trouble, and his best friend was killed." Holley looked to Mater, and she noticed the tow truck looking everywhere except towards her. But she continued to stare, hoping her and Harley's plan worked. "Do you understand now, Mater? Why Finn was so upset before?"

Mater didn't answer at first. He thought back to when he, Finn, and Holley were trapped in Big Bentley during the World Grand Prix, waiting for Grem and Acer to kill Lightning with the camera. That moment haunted his nightmares for almost a month after the incident, and it still made him fearful today. Then Mater thought about when Grem and Acer told them Harley died; that she, his innocent, sixteen-year-old sister, had been shot dead. He could never forget how crushed he felt when he heard, and how hard it was to believe that his sister could be dead. What about the way Finn spoke when he shouted at Grem and Acer? The fond tone in his voice when he promised Mater he wouldn't let anything happen to Harley. Finn cared about her. Harley turned out to be alive after all, but that didn't change the validity of Mater's and Finn's reactions when they heard she was "dead."

"Yeah." Mater finally nodded, his voice soft. "Yeah, I understand." Holley smiled, happy the plan worked and proud Mater finally understood.

Unbeknownst to Mater but assumed by Holley, Finn parked in the shadows near the Wheel Well, listening in on their conversation. Harley had told him Holley wanted to meet with him at Wheel Well, but when Finn arrived he saw Holley already with Mater. Finn thought about turning around, but decided to stay when he heard Holley and Mater talking about him. As he listened to what Holley told Mater, Finn suddenly felt grief wrap around his metaphorical heart. He could never forget Leland; his warm lilac eyes that always seemed to sparkle with youthful energy, the way he laughed at dangerous situations like death wasn't on the line, and more importantly the way he would look to Finn after every completed mission and say "Thanks, ol' chap. I owe you one."

 _But you never owed me anything, Leland._ Finn thought. _I was proud to call you my friend, and I would've beaten up anyone who said otherwise._ Finn felt tears building up, but he blinked a few times and they disappeared. Finally deciding the memories were simply too painful, Finn turned and drove off to return to the motel.

When he returned to town, he saw Harley waiting at Stanley's statue seemingly rearranging Red's flowers. But she apparently heard Finn coming, and she looked up to smile at him. "Hey Finn. How'd it go?"

Finn cleared his throat a bit, making sure his voice came out steady. "Holley was, uh, in the middle of something. I'll talk to her tomorrow."

Harley nodded, watching Finn begin to drive off. But she hurriedly skated after him and rolled alongside the veteran spy car. "Finn, please don't be too harsh on Mater. You know he meant no harm when he took you and Holley tractor tippin'."

"Of course not." Finn said hurriedly. "I just….that is, I…."

Harley giggled softly. "You know, if Mater and Holley don't take 'opposites attract' to a whole new level, then your relationship with him certainly does."

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"Well, think about it." Harley shrugged. "You're a pristine, proper British car who works in espionage. He's a rusted, country tow truck who works in towin' and salvage. But do you ever think about what you have in common? You both are loyal and brave, and devoted to your jobs." She turned to skate backwards so she could fully face Finn, placing a comforting hand on his hood. She smiled warmly at Finn and locked her crystal blue eyes to his aqua green ones. "Most of all, you two are both _very_ dedicated to the people you hold close to your hearts…..er, engines."

Finn chuckled softly. "To be honest, Harley, I am very thankful to have Mater as a friend." He sighed solemnly. "I suppose it's just hard."

"Why's that?" Harley asked, turning to skate forwards again.

"It's been hard letting go of Leland." Finn said. "I keep thinking about him at the worst times. I still get nightmares now and then." Finn sighed again. "I wish I could just forget about him."

"You can't." Harley said. "No more than I can forget about Doc. But you don't _have_ to let go of Leland. You think I'm just going to block out every memory I have of my dad?" She shook her head. "I've come to terms with Doc's death, and I did that by only remembering the good things about him. Our most precious of memories and the times we spent together. I can even remember his voice, and how I loved the way he told me 'goodnight' and 'I love you' before I went to sleep each night." Harley felt tears coming, but she sighed happily. "That's all you gotta do, Finn. Don't let go of Leland; just remember everything good about him, and he'll always be with you."

Finn stared at Harley for a moment, amazed by her wisdom. That didn't come from finishing high school a year early. That came from years of teaching from someone even wiser, and from the experiences of a fulfilling life. Finn smiled softly, absent-mindedly thinking to his younger years when he, Leland, and Siddeley became locked in a prank war. "I think that sounds much better than forgetting about him." Finn agreed.

Harley smiled warmly, hugging Finn. "I'm glad."

Finn nuzzled Harley, sighing. He still felt some remnants of sorrow, but they were slowly disappearing. "I suppose I'll be off to bed now. Goodnight, Harley."

"Goodnight." Harley skated off towards the café, Finn driving towards the motel just up the street.

"And Harley?" Finn called, causing the brunette to turn to him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Harley said, watching Finn disappear around the corner to the motel. She skated into the café area, greeting Flo warmly. Flo returned the greeting, coming out with Harley's dinner and inviting her to stick around to chat. Harley agreed, talking with Flo while trying to figure out her new cell phone Lightning gave her as a graduation present. She still wasn't used to such hi-tech.

Several minutes later, Mater suddenly skidded to a halt before them. "Harley! Flo! You see Finn anywhere?"

"He was going towards the Cozy Cone some time ago." Harley said.

"Good! I gotta talk ta 'im!" Mater turned to hurry over, but Harley quickly skated between him and his path of driving.

"Whoa, easy there, Mater!" Harley laughed. "I'm sure Finn's tired and he may even be asleep by now. Best not to bother him."

"No, no, I gotta go say I'm sorry!" Mater insisted. "I don' want 'im ta be mad at me anymore. What if he don' wanna be my friend?"

"Mater, it can wait until tomorrow." Harley assured. "Let Finn have his rest."

"Please? Please let me go?" Mater pouted pleadingly. "I don' want 'im ta still be angry at me tomorrah."

Harley looked towards the Cozy Cone. "Oh all right. But if he's already asleep, you leave him alone until tomorrow, okay?" Mater nodded happily, swerving around Harley and hurrying to the Cozy Cone. Harley laughed, beginning to skate back to the café. She jumped when her phone practically screamed the song "Remember the Name," and she hurriedly answered it. "Dang it, Lightning! You changed my ringtone for your number again, didn't you?"

* * *

Mater slowed as he came to Finn's room, wondering how he could go about this. Ultimately, he just hoped Finn wasn't too angry with him anymore. But as he came within a few feet of the door, Mater saw the lights of the cone go out.

"Uh, Finn?" Mater called, hoping to catch the spy car before he fell asleep. "I wanna talk ta you. Kin ya come out?" Finn didn't answer. The door remained shut. So Mater took a breath and continued talking. "Look, I'm sorry 'bout what happened. I guess I shoulda warned ya 'bout Frank. But I thought you'd have fun. Guess I was wrong." He rubbed the asphalt below with one tire. "I'm really sorry, Finn. I never meant fer anyone ta git hurt. You and Holley are my friends, and I wouldn't let _anythin'_ happen to ya. You know that, right?" Still, Finn didn't answer. Mater sighed. "Finn, I only want ya ta forgive me. Please? I promise, I won' do anythin' like that ta you or Holley ever again."

By now, Mater began to feel that Finn really didn't want to see him again, much less talk to him. But he wouldn't give up; he would earn Finn's friendship again no matter what it took. Mater rolled just a few inches closer to the door.

"Finn? Are ya listenin'?" Mater asked, his hopes starting to crumble. "If ya are, will ya answer me?"

Nothing.

Mater sighed, backing up a bit to return home. That was it. He lost a very good friend forever. All because of his stupidity and because of those idiotic things he said.

Then, Mater heard the creaking of the garage door opening. He perked up, staring hopefully as the cone's door opened fully. It was still dark inside the room, but Mater could make out Finn's shadowy form resting inside.

"Finn?" Mater asked hopefully.

The lights in the room flicked on, and Mater's hopeful smile snapped into a horrified stare. Finn stared back with wide eyes, trying to warn Mater to run. But the duct tape over his mouth only allowed muffled sounds to come out. Ropes around his middle prevented him from unloading his guns and he had parking boots clamped on both front tires. A black Gremlin and a familiar teal microcar appeared on either side of the trapped spy.

"We meet again, tow truck." Zündapp greeted.

Mater heard tires on dirt and asphalt, and he turned to see himself surrounded by black Gremlins and Pacers. Mater glared hard, staring at Finn as his mind raced with a plan to get them out of there.

"Don't even think about escaping, tow truck." Zündapp warned. "You either come with us or McMissile dies." The black Gremlin on the other side of Finn suddenly unloaded a gun from his side, pressing the barrel to the Aston Martin's fender.

Finn stared at Mater, shaking his hood. _Don't do it, Mater. Just don't do it. Get out of here while you can!_

But Finn should've known Mater would be too noble for that. Mater relaxed on his axles, allowing several Pacers and Gremlins to press against him and roughly herd him to the clearing behind the Cozy Cone. The other evil cars grabbed Finn and pulled him along, Zündapp leading the way. Mater mentally cursed when he realized Sally wasn't in the office to witness any of this; she was off on a date with Lightning. In fact, there was nobody around to witness Mater and Finn being herded towards a large, black helicopter ready to take them all away. But Mater remembered Harley and Flo, sitting just over at the café. If he could just alert them…

"Ye know, I jus' remembered somethin'." Mater piped up.

"And what's that?" Zündapp droned.

"Ya said I had ta come with ya." Mater glared. "Ya never said 'quietly.'"

"What?" Zündapp asked. Mater suddenly blared his horn, making Zündapp, his henchmen, and even Finn flinch. Mater kept it up, blaring his horn several times and so loudly the sound carried over to Flo's café.

"Mater?" Harley called, skating quickly towards the Cozy Cone.

"Somebody shut him up!" Zündapp ordered. One of the Pacers quickly knocked Mater out, silencing him, but they heard Harley shouting just down the road. "Get them inside! We're leaving!"

Harley rounded the corner into the Cozy Cone lot and noticed Finn's room door wide open and void of spy car. She skated about the area, looking for any sign of rusted or silvery-blue metal. Finally, she noticed the form of a black helicopter in the light of the moon, and she saw the black Gremlins and Pacers shoving Finn inside. "Finn! Mater!" Harley screamed, skating towards the helicopter as the aircraft's rotors began spinning. Zündapp's henchmen finally managed to get Finn in the helicopter, which lifted off the ground and started flying off. Harley thought quickly, wracking her brain for a plan. Realizing she still held her phone in one hand, she gave the piece of technology a mighty throw. It slipped into the door of the helicopter just before it shut, and the helicopter flew off to leave Harley in the swirling dust. Harley stared after the helicopter, shocked by what happened. But she couldn't be shocked for long.

"Gotta get Holley, Siddeley, and Emily." Harley breathed, turning and skating away as fast as she could. "They'll know what to do."

In the helicopter, Finn noticed the phone flying through the door and skidding to a halt right underneath him. Desperate to not let Harley's attempt to help go to waste, he activated a claw-like mechanism from his undercarriage and picked up the phone, tucking away and hiding it. None of the henchmen nor Zündapp seemed to care; apparently they saw the action as Harley's pathetic attempt at an attack.

"Set a course for the rigs." Zündapp ordered, sneering at Finn and the still-unconscious Mater. "We've got a job to do."

* * *

 **A/N: I would apologize for the strain on Mater and Finn's relationship, but I'm not sorry for torturing my protagonists. I'm also not sorry for leaving you all on a cliffhanger. :D Until the next part!**


	9. Sparks Fly Part 3

**A/N: Warning: the following chapter has a fair amount of blood and violence.**

* * *

 **Sparks Fly – Part Three**

One dark, silent, very long helicopter ride later, Mater and Finn found themselves shoved out of the helicopter and onto the helipad perched on top of an old oil derrick. Based on the rusted metal here and there and the wide open spaces, this derrick had been abandoned years ago.

Perfect place to discretely kill one's enemies.

One of the Pacers got the parking boots off Finn and practically ripped the duct tape off the spy's mouth, but he and Mater were still surrounded and restrained. Escape wasn't an option at the moment, especially with Finn's guns still securely tied down.

"Where are you taking us?" Finn finally demanded, Zündapp leading his prisoners through the halls of the derrick's main building.

"To your doom, McMissile. What else?" Zündapp droned, chuckling darkly.

Finn only glared, struggling against his captors. Mater did the same, the both of them fighting to break free. But their enemies kept tight grips. Soon, the Pacers and Gremlins that had Mater forced him off down a different hallway while Finn had to keep following Zündapp. Finn felt a spark of fear, but he kept the fierce glare in his eyes and ground his teeth angrily. He couldn't let Zündapp get to him. He had to do whatever he could to help Mater escape from here. Of course, first that involved breaking free from his captors, and that didn't seem likely at the moment.

Finally, they stopped in a room made almost completely of metal walls/ceiling and gray tile, with a large viewing window on one wall. Zündapp turned to face Finn, the window behind him. "Now, Finn McMissile, comes my moment of revenge. I've been waiting quite a while for this."

"Oh spare me the theatrics, Zündapp." Finn snapped. "What are you going to do to Mater?"

"Would you like to see him?" Zündapp gestured to the window, and the cars around Finn forced him forward until his headlights almost touched the glass. He looked through the window to see Mater being shoved to the center of a large room almost the same size as the one Finn and Zündapp rested in. The cars slapped parking boots onto Mater's front wheels, leaving him and locking the door behind them. Finn noticed the walls and ceiling of the room looked strange, almost as though they weren't connected. They also looked much too smooth.

"Finn?" Mater called, staring at the spy car worriedly. "You lemons leave 'im alone!"

Zündapp chuckled. "How adorable. So concerned for your safety, McMissile, when he's the one in danger. Tell me: how _crushed_ did you feel when Agent Turbo died?"

Finn opened his mouth to snap at Zündapp, but then he came to a horrible realization. The walls and ceiling weren't connected… "No…..no, Zündapp…..please…."

"This is my revenge, McMissile." Zündapp said, smirking evilly. "You've interfered far too many times, and now you're going to pay."

"Then why not just kill me?" Finn said, his eyes flickering back and forth from his enemy to his trapped friend. Mater stared at him, confused and scared, clearly unable to hear what they were saying. "Kill me if you want, but just let him go!"

"And what joy would I get from that?" Zündapp rolled his eyes. "No. No, I want to see you suffer, McMissile. I _was_ going to put that Jaguar in there, but who better to destroy than the true mastermind behind the World Grand Prix failure?"

Finn's eyes widened as a thick slab of metal rose up from the floor, blocking the window and beginning to move towards Mater. The last thing Finn saw was Mater's terrified gaze. "Zündapp!" Finn didn't care how desperate he sounded anymore. He just wanted Mater out of there. "Zündapp, I'm begging you. I'll do anything." Zündapp ignored him, an evil smirk on his lips. Finn stared as the walls came closer and closer to Mater. He never felt so helpless in his entire life, and though he struggled as hard as he could the cars surrounding him refused to let him move more than an inch any way.

" _Mater! NO!"_

 _CRUNCH!_

Finn swore his engine stopped. It was one thing to see Leland's crushed corpse. He didn't have to hear the horrible sound of metal getting crunched and compacted. Finn squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to block out the noise. He didn't even hear Mater's scream. Or maybe Mater didn't have time to scream. After a few minutes, the sound stopped and the walls of the crushing machine retracted. Finn's breathing was shaky, shock coursing through him. Memories of Leland's corpse flashed in his mind, and Finn fought to not cry. He wouldn't cry; not in front of his worst enemies. But that wouldn't stop the feeling of defeat that seemed to crush him worse than the machine that killed his friend.

"Put them in the holding cell." Zündapp ordered, driving off. Finn barely registered his captors pushing him to another, smaller room that must've once been a storage area. The cars shoved Finn inside and put parking boots on all four of his wheels, and seconds later another car pushed in a cube of metal and glass. The door was slammed shut, leaving Finn alone with only the dim light of a single lightbulb hanging above him.

Finn stared at the crushed cube, and he felt that crushing defeat sensation come back like a knife. That was Mater. That cube of crushed, rusted metal and broken glass was _Mater._ How could this happen? Mater, who was so kind and cheery, was now just a pile of dead metal. Finn clenched his jaw and ground his teeth together, managing to keep his sobs silent. But he couldn't stop the tears escaping his eyes and running down his hood.

* * *

 _Knock knock_

Pause.

 _Knock, knock_

Pause.

 _Knock, knock, knock_

"Finn?"

Finn blinked his eyes open. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he woke still in the holding cell with Mater's remains. Someone knocked softly on the metal door. "Hello?" Finn's voice was a little hoarse from his crying.

"Finn? You in there?"

Finn's senses jumpstarted when he recognized the voice. "Harley?"

"It _is_ you!" Harley's voice cheered softly on the other side of the door. "Oh Finn, I was so worried about you! Are you hurt?"

"I….I'm fine…" Finn said, glancing sorrowfully at Mater's corpse.

"Good." Harley said. "Listen, just hang tight. I need to find a way to get this door open."

"Harley, there's something you need to know." Finn said.

"Tell me later." Harley said dismissively. "I'm getting you out of there."

"It's about Mater!" Finn said hurriedly.

Harley didn't speak for a moment. "What about Mater?"

Finn sighed. "He's dead, Harley. Zündapp…..he…..he killed Mater." He struggled to keep his tears at bay. "I'm sorry, Harley. This is all my fault. I'm sorry."

Finn couldn't see Harley's expression, but she remained silent for a moment. "Finn, it'll be okay. I promise. Just hang tight, okay?" A pause. "I gotta do some distracting. I'll be back, I promise." Finn listened to Harley skate away, and after a few seconds he heard her shout, "Hey bozos! Na na-na na na na!" Then she blew her loudest raspberry. Tires squealed as several henchmen apparently chased her, falling for her teasing. Finn listened to them go, praying Harley wouldn't be harmed.

After a minute, the door to the cell suddenly came down with a loud _BANG!_ Finn jumped, wanting to reverse but forgetting that the parking boots kept him firmly in place. Finn blinked at the new, brighter light coming in, but when his eyes adjusted his jaw dropped.

"Heya buddy!" a familiar rusted tow truck greeted warmly, his bucktooth grin stretched from headlight to headlight.

"Mater." Finn breathed. "You're alive."

"Yeah!" Mater nodded happily. "Now you jus' hang on. I'm 'onna git ya outta here." He moved to one of the parking boots and began unhooking them.

"But how did…?" Finn asked, looking back and forth between Mater and his supposed corpse just next to him.

"Ya remember how Holley's been teachin' me spy ta….tac…..uh…." Mater's eyes squinted a bit as he tried to sound out the sophisticated-sounding word Holley had used.

"Tactics?" Finn offered, finally smiling when he realized Mater was truly alive and standing next to him.

"Yeah!" Mater nodded. "Anyway, I done put in a decoy in dat crushin' machine an' I used mah tow hook ta grab the rafters an' escape! Harley and Holley found me an' helped me git free!"

"Holley's here?" Finn asked, feeling the last parking boot fall free with Mater's help.

"Yeah!" Mater said excitedly. "Holley an' Harley an' Sid! They came ta rescue us! C'mon! Let's go!"

"Mater!" Finn piped up, making Mater pause and turn to him. Finn looked down a bit in shame. "I'm sorry about before. I didn't mean it, really." Finn smiled softly. "I am very thankful to have you as a friend, and I was wrong to try and let go of that."

Mater smiled back. "So I'm forgiven?"

"Only if you forgive me for losing my temper." Finn nodded.

"You got it, buddy." Mater assured. "Now let's git home!" Finn nodded in agreement, the two of them slipping out of the cell and driving down the hall. They nearly ran into Harley and Holley, the former who hugged both of them and sighed in relief. Harley also cut away the ropes around Finn so he could unload his guns.

"Siddeley's up on the helipad." Holley said as they hurried towards the exit of the building and to the open platforms of the derrick. "We have to move quickly before—"

They suddenly skidded to a halt once they reached the outside, finding themselves completely surrounded by Zündapp and his henchmen (which now included black-painted lemon cars and several black-clothed human men).

"Before exactly this happens." Harley groaned.

Finn moved forward, guns drawn and ready to fire. "Out of our way, Zündapp."

"Oh I don't think so." Zündapp snarled. "None of you are leaving here unless your dead bodies are dropped into the ocean!" Harley tensed, pressing herself closer to Mater for protection.

Holley put herself in front of Mater and Harley, pistols unlocking from her hubcaps. "Stand down, Zündapp. You can't keep us here."

"I don't intend to." Zündapp seemed nearly manic now with his wild eyes and snarling tone. "I intend to watch you all die! Men! Shoot them!" The henchmen locked and loaded their guns, ready to fire. Finn, Holley, Mater, and Harley tensed up, ready to fight their way out/run for their lives.

Then, a new voice piped up.

"Belay that order!"

Zündapp and his henchmen jumped, turning as a figure walked up to them. As the figure came towards the spies, the henchmen parted like the Red Sea for her. Finn, Holley, Mater, and Harley stared in shock as the figure stopped before them, hands on her hips.

"Emily?" Holley finally asked.

Emily stared at them with a rather bored expression, as though the scene before her caused no joy whatsoever. In fact, she seemed to be growing more and more irritated. "Holley and Harley. You two aren't supposed to be here." She glanced to the tow truck of the group. "But, Mater, I must say I'm rather impressed that you managed to escape the crushing room. How clever of you."

"You were there?" Mater asked, confused.

Harley glared hard, stepping forward to be between Finn and Holley. "Of course she was there. She planned this entire thing! You're the one who ordered Finn and Mater to be kidnapped!"

Emily clapped mockingly. "Well done, Ms. Graduated Early. So glad to see that degree truly reflects your smarts."

Harley growled a bit, but Holley moved in front of her to keep the girl from moving towards Emily. "Why? Why would you do this?" Holley demanded.

"Because Finn clearly needs some persuading to understand the concept of returning one's feelings." Emily droned.

"That's what this is about?" Finn demanded. "You're doing all this because I didn't react the way you wanted to your distasteful flirtations?"

"She flirted with you?" Harley made a face of pure disgust, one that Holley and Mater mimicked. Actually, most of the henchmen mimicked that look.

"I wouldn't call them distasteful." Emily shrugged, as though not realizing the impact of her actions. "Honestly, Finn, you're acting like no woman has ever flirted with you."

Finn glared hard. "You little—"

"Now, now, Finn." Emily scolded. "Let's not use foul language in the presence of a lady."

"I certainly hope you're not talking about yourself." Harley sassed.

The second that last word left Harley's mouth, Emily fired a shot from her pistol. The bullet grazed Harley's ear and left a cut, stabbing into the wall behind her. Harley flinched, leaning against Holley and clutching her bleeding ear. She stared in shock, almost unable to believe how close Emily came to shooting her in the head. Mater moved closer to Harley, ready to protect her.

Emily tucked her pistol away, looking to Finn. "Tell you what, McMissile. You surrender yourself to me and your imprisonment here, and I'll allow your friends to leave unharmed."

Finn narrowed his eyes. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Well, it's either that or I let Zündapp's men kill them." Emily shrugged. "I'd do it myself, but I don't want to waste my bullets."

Finn weighed his options. On the one hand, he'd rather eat his own tires than be trapped here with a lovesick and twisted-mind Emily. But he almost lost Mater and Harley was already injured (even if in a minor way). He couldn't bear the thought of watching them and Holley get killed. Siddeley could get them home safely, and then he could figure out a way to escape on his own.

"Fine. Done." Finn said.

"What?" Harley, Holley, and Mater gasped.

"Finn, we didn't come all this way just to leave someone behind." Harley said.

"This is _not_ up for debate!" Finn snapped in a harsh tone. "All of you get to Siddeley and go home."

"But Finn—" Mater started.

"Right now!" Finn ordered. His friends reeled a bit, shocked by his tone. But they didn't dare disobey him. Being the oldest one of them aside, it was long since established that he commanded their little group, and if he gave an order, you had to follow it. So Holley led the way as she, Harley, and Mater hurried off to find Siddeley. Several of the henchmen cars surrounded Finn, ready to lead him back to the holding cell.

"I will not accept this!" Zündapp shouted. "My revenge is not complete if the tow truck still lives!"

"Frankly, Zündapp, I don't give a damn." Emily droned. "It's not my fault you failed to kill Mater. I only agreed to let you do that to break Finn."

"Well that didn't work out, now did it?" Zündapp snapped.

Emily glanced to Finn, who returned the gaze with a defiant and furious glare. Yes, there was still a fire in his eyes that wouldn't go out so easily. It would take more than crushing Mater to break his spirit. "True." Emily mused. "Your feeble attempt did not work so well." She glanced up as Siddeley began flying off into the distance. "But perhaps my attempt will work better." She pulled a walkie-talkie from her belt, pressing the button to talk into it. "Is the target set?"

" _Locked and loaded, ma'am."_ A voice over the walkie-talkie said.

"Shoot them down." Emily ordered.

"What?!" Finn shouted, shocked and angry. He jumped when a missile shot from an area on the derrick, flying after Siddeley. Finn hurriedly turned on his radio. "Sid! Sid, come in! There's a missile on your tail! You have to—"

 _BOOM!_

Finn jumped again at the explosion, and everyone looked out to see the flaming figure of a jet plane falling from the sky and crashing into the ocean. Finn couldn't tear his eyes away, shock crashing onto him yet again. "Sid? Sid, come in." He waited for a response over his radio, but only heard silence. "Come on, Siddeley, please answer me." Finn strained to hear something—anything—that could indicate maybe his friend survived. But he didn't hear a thing. Strangely enough, he didn't even hear static.

"I do apologize, Finn." Emily said, only half-remorsefully. "It was necessary."

That's when Finn snapped. He suddenly bolted and broke free from his captors, his tires screaming against the metal derrick platform. He rammed into Emily, knocking her backwards and causing her to slam into a nearby crate. Before she could stand again, Finn slammed into her with enough force to pin her to the crate but not enough to seriously wound her. At least not yet. Emily shouted in pain, her nails digging into Finn's hood, and she glared.

"Ow." She said in a snarky tone.

"Believe me, this is _nothing_ compared to the pain I'm going to put you through before I kill you." Finn snarled. Zündapp and the henchmen couldn't believe what just happened, and they weren't sure they wanted to get in the middle of it. For one thing, they didn't exactly like Emily; for another thing, Finn's current mood scared them very much.

"What good will it do, Finn?" Emily asked snidely. "I've already won. I knew I couldn't just let your friends go. They care about you too much. They'd come running back to save you and I wasn't about to deal with that headache."

Finn didn't consider himself the murderous type, but right now all he wanted was to snap Emily's spine in half. But before he could open his mouth to retort, he felt something hook onto his back axle and yank him backwards. To the shock of him and most everyone else there, Finn found himself pulled off the ground and onto a platform above his enemies. When he finally settled his tires onto the platform, he turned to see Mater unhooking his tow hook from the spy car.

"Mater?" Finn blinked in surprise. "Holley? Harley?"

"You really think we'd just leave you behind?" Holley asked, smiling warmly.

"We ain't that gullible." Mater laughed.

Harley skated up to the edge of the platform and looked down towards the shocked Emily, Zündapp, and henchmen. "You're quite right, Emily. We would never just leave Finn here. We would, however, trick your getaway jet into taking off so that you would shoot it down."

"What?!" Emily growled.

"You just lost your only shot and getting off this rig without being arrested." Holley said, smirking.

"So, not to be cliché, but we can do this the easy way or the hard way, Emily." Harley said. "Your choice."

Emily let out a feral snarl, and she suddenly unloaded her pistol. Harley, Finn, Holley, and Mater ducked as shots flew over their head.

"This way!" Holley urged, leading the way as they hurried off. "Siddeley's hiding in the clouds and he's going to come down when we're ready. But we have to hurry!"

"After them!" Emily shouted, the henchmen quickly and fearfully following her orders. "Leave McMissile alive but kill the others!"

* * *

In hindsight, maybe scattering wasn't the best idea in the world. Holley had the right mindset when she thought of the plan; if they split up, they could throw their enemies off their trail and make their way to Siddeley safely. After all, each of them had radios to contact the jet to get them. But as Harley skated around the derrick, she soon realized she lost her pursuers and also lost her way. She soon abandoned the "running away" plan and stuck to sneaking around the building, trying to find a way to the helipad or at least to some other flat surface where Siddeley could pick her up. But a part of her said she ought to search for her friends and make sure they were all right.

Harley skated around a corner and suddenly skidded to a halt when she almost crashed into a car. But she relaxed when she only saw Finn. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Finn nodded. "This way!"

Harley stuck right by his side, the two of them stealthily making their way down the hallway and hopefully towards the exit. "Any sign of Mater or Holley?" Harley asked.

"No, but I'm sure they're around here." Finn assured. "How did you find me and Mater anyway?"

"We tracked my phone when I threw it into the helicopter." Harley explained.

Then Finn remembered he still had Harley's cell phone tucked away somewhere. But something else kept his thoughts occupied. "Why did you come, then? Why not just let Holley and Siddeley handle it?"

"I wasn't going to sit back and do nothing." Harley said firmly.

"But you put yourself in unnecessary danger." Finn chided. "You can't just die right after finishing high school."

"I don't leave behind my family, Finn." Harley said. "Whether you like it or not, you're family." Finn didn't answer. The two of them were silent as they continued on to search for a way out. Then, Harley spoke up again. "I know you don't like the idea of close relationships, but I think you're just kidding yourself. You need to tell me or prove it to me, because I can't read your mind and I'm not even going to try. Right now, I have two guesses: you really don't care about anyone or you're too afraid to care about people even when they care about you."

Finn didn't say anything, looking everywhere except towards Harley. He didn't know how to answer her question. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he knew the answer in the first place. He and Harley paused at the sound of voices, and they quickly ducked into a nearby room that turned out to be a large storage room. Harley quickly shut the door behind her, listening for anyone coming. She jumped when she heard crackling electricity, and she spun around to see two Taser hooks latched onto Finn's grill. Finn convulsed and shook violently as electricity coursed through him. After a moment, his eyes rolled back and closed as he fell limp and the Taser hooks retracted back into the remote.

"Finn!" Harley gasped, hurrying to his side and kneeling beside him.

"Step away from him, Harley."

Harley looked up to see Emily before them, the blonde spy tossing her Taser to one side. Harley glared, standing and putting herself protectively in front of Finn. "No, _you_ step away from him." Harley growled. "You may think you love him, but doing all of this is just going to hurt him. He'll hate you."

"You're so foolish, Harley." Emily scoffed. "You know nothing of love."

"I know more than you do." Harley assured. "You don't force people to care about you. That's not how it works."

"I meant romantic love." Emily droned.

"It doesn't matter if it's love for your family or someone who want to date." Harley snapped. "None of this is right, Emily. You're only going to push away the people who care about you."

Emily rolled her eyes, glaring at Harley. "I really _didn't_ want to have to kill you, kid. But you're interfering with my plans, and I can't have that."

Emily suddenly lunged with a punch, but Harley managed to duck out of the way. She skated to one side as Emily lunged again, the spy swinging her leg in a roundhouse kick. Harley crouched down to avoid it, spinning and swiping Emily's legs from under her. Harley jumped back up, standing ready. Emily growled a bit, glaring at Harley. She flipped up to her feet again, taking a strong fighting stance.

"I've had years of training. You don't stand a chance." Emily growled.

"Yeah? Well I was raised by a police sheriff and an Army sergeant." Harley retorted. "I won't be taken down so easily."

This time, Harley lunged. But maybe she should've taken Emily seriously when she said "years of training." Harley threw a punch, but Emily caught her wrist and bent it at a painful angle. Harley gasped in pain, but hardly had time to react when Emily planted her fist into the teenager's stomach. Emily threw another punch to Harley's stomach, a knee to her chest, and a vicious backhand across her face. Harley sprawled across the ground, gasping from the sharp, throbbing pain. Emily's boot suddenly hit her ribs, and then her shoulder. Harley instinctively curled up in a ball, clutching her stomach. Emily scoffed in disgust.

"You pathetic child." Emily walked to the door, opening it and clearly prepared to leave. She made her way to an open crate nearby and reached inside, pulling out a machine gun. "You may be book smart, but you know nothing of the world." Harley could hardly move from the pain, staring as Emily set up the gun's stand and pointed the barrel at her. "Your little 'family' in that stupid town taught you so little about how things work in the world."

Harley glared, struggling to rise. "I feel sorry for you, Emily. There are people who love you very much, but you're so blind to it all. You're the one who doesn't understand love, and for that I pity you."

Emily scoffed. "I suppose I should be the one pitying you. Because now you're going to die at a very young age." She set the gun to automatic fire, programming a timer. Emily stood, giving one last kick to Harley before stepping away to watch the gun fire. Harley fought to rise, but the pain seemed to pin her to the ground. She curled up in a ball and covered her head with her hands, praying she would at least be able to make it to the hospital.

" _HARLEY!"_

Harley heard the gun fire several times, followed by the sound of bullets piercing metal. Her head shot up and her eyes widened when she saw a familiar Aston Martin between her and the bullets. The gun stopped firing, either out of bullets or jammed, and Harley felt her heart rate spike.

" _Finn!"_ Harley screamed, scrambling to her feet. She noticed Emily still in the room, and at the moment Harley had only one thought: get Finn away from that woman. The adrenaline now in her veins allowed Harley to skate around Finn, punch Emily in the stomach, and grab the blonde's hair. She pulled Emily out of the room, throwing her out the door and slamming it shut. Harley spied a red button next to the door with a sign above it that read "Emergency Lockdown." She slammed her fist against the glass, smashing it and pressing the button. An alarm blared out briefly as the door locked securely. Harley nodded in satisfaction, ignoring the blood dripping from the cuts on her hand. She hurried back to Finn, collapsing to her knees next to his fender and looking over his wounds. Finn's eyes were squeezed shut, his breathing labored through clenched teeth. Multiple holes could be seen on his side where the bullets pierced his hide. Oil flowed from the wounds like inky streams, and Harley knew if she didn't do something fast Finn would bleed out and die.

"Harley…" Finn suddenly spoke, startling the girl. His eyes finally opened, a pained gaze locked onto the girl.

"It's okay." Harley said soothingly, trying to keep calm. "Just hang on, Finn. I'm going to help you."

"No…..no, don't…." Finn winced, as though simply talking caused him immense pain.

"I can heal you with my powers, Finn. I'm not going to let you die." Harley said firmly.

"But….you could die…" Finn protested weakly. "The wounds…will carry over…and kill you…."

Harley suddenly burst into tears. "I don't care! For the love of Chrysler, Finn, I just don't care. I want to help you, and if that kills me then so be it!"

"I won't…let you…" Finn said firmly, despite the pain still evident in his voice.

"Why not?" Harley demanded, tears pouring from her eyes. "Why won't you let me help you?"

"Because…..I care…too much….." Finn said. Harley paused, staring at him. Finn sighed, struggling to keep the pain from his voice no matter how much it threatened to consume him. "Dying…..is an occupational hazard…for a spy…..but not for you…I almost lost you…in Porto Corsa….Mater almost lost you….I wasn't going…..to make that mistake twice…"

Harley sniffled, wiping her eyes dry. "But you're my family, Finn. You and Holley and Siddeley are a part of my and Mater's family. I couldn't stop my dad from dying, but if I can save someone with my powers, I'll do it. I'm not afraid of what might happen if I try." She pressed her forehead against Finn's fender, clutching his tire in a weak hug. "I love you, Finn."

Finn felt his heart breaking, and he sighed. But he gathered his strength and nuzzled Harley lovingly. "You…..were right, Harley…..I am afraid…..to show that I care…" He took in a shaky breath. "But that…will never change…that I do love you…..very much…"

Harley stared at him with watery eyes and smiled softly.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared between the two of them, making them jump. Harley pulled back from Finn and her hand slapped against Finn's side, and suddenly she noticed the blood on her hand disappearing. In fact, her cuts began to close and the pain she felt from Emily's blows vanished. She looked to Finn's bullet wounds, which stopped bleeding in seconds. The bullets popped right out and made clinking noises as they fell to the ground, the holes in Finn's metal closing like they were never there. Soon, the wounds and the light disappeared to leave Harley and Finn staring in shock and completely healed.

Finn spoke first. "What just happened?"

"I have no idea." Harley breathed. "But the bullet wounds are gone. You're healed!"

"I…I suppose….." Finn could hardly believe it. "I mean….I feel fine…..I feel terrific. But it didn't hurt you?"

"No. Not at all." Harley patted her stomach and sides, but the wounds didn't seem to carry over to her during the healing process. "But how is this possible?" She placed her hand back on Finn's fender, looking him over to make sure he was truly okay.

Then, something appeared between the two of them. A ghostly thread, the same color as Finn's eyes, appeared with one end touching Harley's heart and the other end on Finn's engine. The two of them stared at the thread in shock. Harley lifted her hand, and the thread disappeared. She put her hand back on Finn's hood, and the thread appeared again. She repeated the process a few times, but neither she nor Finn could deny what they saw.

"That's a Soul Connection thread." Finn breathed.

"That means….we Soul Connect?" Harley shared a look with Finn, and she broke into smiles. "We Soul Connect!" She hugged Finn tightly, the two of them laughing in relief and excitement. They could Soul Connect! Of course! That's why they always felt those shocks and why Harley's powers always reacted when she was near Finn. They were supposed to have this connection the entire time, and it had finally been unlocked.

Harley sighed heavily in relief, smiling broadly. "Love you, Finn."

Finn chuckled softly, nuzzling the girl. "Love you, Harley."

* * *

Holley and Mater ended up outside the building when the lockdown activated, but as they made their way to the helipad to Siddeley, they noticed their enemies finally getting doors open which indicated the lockdown shutting off. Luckily, Mater managed to ram into some crates and block the path behind them so he and Holley could get away.

Siddeley rested on the helipad, ready to take off. The helicopter that took Finn and Mater rested off to one side, knocked out thanks to Siddeley. "Hurry, you guys!" Siddeley called. "Where are Finn and Harley?"

"We dunno!" Mater said worriedly.

"Mater! Holley! Siddeley!" Harley called, her and Finn hurrying up to them.

"Finn! Harley!" Holley sighed. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

"We're better than all right!" Harley laughed. "We're fantastic!"

"Why?" Mater asked.

"We'll explain on the way out of here!" Finn urged. "Let's go!" They hurriedly moved towards Siddeley, but jumped when a gunshot pierced the ground very close to them. They turned just in time to see Emily come in with a firm kick to Holley's hood, sending her backwards several feet. She sent a kick towards Mater, but the tow truck backed up and hurried over to Holley. Finn and Harley backed up, Emily not taking her manic, murderous eyes off them. Emily lunged for them, but Finn reversed out of the way while Harley ducked and spun around to trip the blonde spy. Emily tucked and rolled and jumped back on her feet again, lunging for Harley.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Harley growled, skating backwards to avoid Emily's attacks. Emily only snarled, continuing to advance on Harley. Finn and Mater shot forward, but Emily grabbed Mater's tow hook when he threw it towards her and she jumped over Finn when he tried to ram her. Emily pulled out her pistol, aiming it for Mater, but Harley suddenly jumped up and landed on Emily's back. Emily let Mater's hook go, shooting wildly and trying to throw Harley off her. But she ended up stepping backwards until her foot hit open air and she fell off the helipad.

"Harley!" Finn cried.

"Sissy!" Mater yelped. They and Holley hurried over to the edge of the platform, looking down and searching for their fallen friend. They spied Harley and Emily falling and bouncing off a metal beam which knocked Harley off Emily's back. Harley hit a small platform and Emily landed farther down and grabbed a pole to stop her fall.

"Hold on, Harley!" Mater called. Finn immediately jumped down, using his grappling hooks and encasing his wheels in magnets to scale the beams and make his way down to Harley.

Harley looked down and saw the main platform of the derrick many, many feet below her. But she also noticed Emily hanging in the open air, with only her grip on a scaffolding pole to keep her up. Harley jumped up to the metal beams that supported the derrick, crouching down on her skates and sliding down to be closer to Emily. She now was just a few feet away from the blonde spy. Harley hung tightly onto the wide beam she sat on, reaching an arm down.

"Emily!" Harley called. "Emily, take my hand!"

"Get away from me!" Emily growled, struggling to lift herself up on the scaffolding.

"Emily, please!" Harley begged, reaching closer to her. "I'll help you. Just take my hand."

Emily stared at her, then quickly reached down to her belt and pulled out a knife. She pulled herself up and slashed the blade. Harley quickly pulled back, avoiding the knife by inches. But when Emily pulled herself up, her hand slipped off the scaffolding pole and she suddenly fell backwards and towards the ground. Harley quickly pushed her glasses up and covered her eyes, Emily's scream echoing in her ears. Then she heard a sickening _THUD!_ Emily's scream stopped.

Shaking, Harley forced herself to put her glasses back on and she peered over to the ground. Emily's body lay on the main platform far below her. Blood already began to pool around her head. Harley let out a quivering breath, her lower lip trembling.

"Harley?"

Harley looked up to see Finn suspended in the air by his grappling hooks. "F-Finn, I'm sorry. I tried but I just—"

Finn shushed her gently. "It's all right, Harley. Let's just get you home, all right?" He lowered one of the grappling hooks from his fenders, allowing Harley to grab onto it so he could pull her up. She sat on his hood as he reeled in the other hook lines, pulling them back to the helipad.

"Finn?"

"Hm?"

"Is it always this hard to watch people get killed?"

A pause. "You know, I've been a spy for so long that I suppose I never really think about it anymore."

"Even your enemies?"

Another pause. "I believe the shock usually comes from the knowledge that a friend has become your enemy."

A pause from Harley this time. "Yeah. Yeah, good point."

* * *

On the way to Radiator Springs, Holley called a friend from C.H.R.O.M.E. to stop by the abandoned oil derricks and pick up Zündapp and his goons. She also called Marshall from Emily's agency to report her unfortunate fate. Siddeley landed in Radiator Springs and immediately he became surrounded by the residents, everyone asking questions at once. All of the townsfolk gathered around Harley and Mater, relieved to see them all right. Once they made sure Mater and Harley were okay, they gathered around Finn and Holley to make sure they made it out unharmed. Though the spies were a bit surprised, Mater and Harley encouraged them to welcome the attention. At that moment, Finn fully realized that the entire town of Radiator Springs seemed to accept him, Holley, and Siddeley in their little family. The bigger surprise came when he found he didn't mind.

Once it was established that everyone was okay, the spies and the townsfolk gathered at Flo's to talk and rest. Harley and Finn revealed their Soul Connection, impressing everyone.

"I guess discovering the connection has enhanced my powers." Harley said. "I was able to heal Finn and myself without any trouble."

"Amazing." Sally breathed. "I suppose that'll come in handy if you do any more doctor work around here."

"It also could be useful during missions." Holley said.

Harley blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Holley and Finn exchanged looks and smiles. "Well, we did some talking while you and Mater slept on the ride over here." Finn explained. "Holley and I were wondering the possibility of you taking some classes at the C.H.R.O.M.E. academy and becoming my new partner."

"Really?" Harley asked, beginning to smile. "What about you, Holley?"

Holley looked to Mater, nuzzling his fender lovingly. "Mater has asked me to spend more time in Radiator Springs so we can be together more often. I've decided to accept."

"Really?" Mater asked excitedly.

"I'll still be working as a spy, but I want to start pursuing a more serious relationship." Holley announced. She looked to the townsfolk. "That is, if you'll have me."

"Absolutely!" Lightning agreed, the rest of the Radiator Springs residents chiming in.

"Of course, that means I'll need a new partner-in-crime for missions." Finn said, looking to Harley. "If you're up for it, I can't think of a better partner than one who can Soul Connect with me."

Harley smiled broadly, but the look faltered as she glanced to her family. "What do you guys think?"

"It sounds rather dangerous." Sally admitted.

"But if Mr. McMissile promises to take care of you…" Flo mused.

"…..and we know he will." Sarge nodded.

"Or else." Sheriff added with a small glare.

"What about racing?" Harley looked to Lightning now.

"You'll still be living here in Radiator Springs." Finn said.

"And you can come to my races whenever you're not working the spy business." Lightning said. "If I need to, I can call you while you're away or someone here can fill in if you're gone. But you do whatever you want."

Harley thought for a moment, considering her options. A spy? Working alongside Finn, her friend and Soul Connect partner? And she could still stay in Radiator Springs and be with her family? It didn't sound too bad. It would be dangerous, but as long as she trusted herself and Finn, she knew she could make it work.

So Harley looked to Finn with a wide smile. "When can we start?"

* * *

 **A/N: Fun fact about the inspiration for Emily's character: you'll notice her full name is Emily Largo. You James Bond nerds will remember this sounds a lot like Emilio Largo from** _ **Thunderball.**_ **Giving her a name based off a Bond villain foreshadowed her eventual betrayal to her friends.**

 **Also, most of you guessed that the spark between Harley and Finn was a psyche human bond like Sky and Blade's. Well done! I had tried to hint about the Soul Connection in** _ **Cars 2.**_ **What do you think? Do Harley and Finn make a good team?**

 **Until next time!**


	10. Guardian Ghost

**Guardian Ghost**

"Nope. Not there. Nope. Nuh-uh. Nope. Ugh, how do these guys find _anything_ in here?"

Dynamite, Pinecone, and Dipper paused as they passed the kitchen area, a bit confused by the clanking sounds and Sky's mildly frustrated muttering. Pinecone opened the door and they peered inside to see Sky kneeling on the floor and sticking her entire body from the waist up inside a cabinet.

"Skylar? What are you doing?" Dipper giggled.

Sky pulled herself from the cabinet, sitting on her ankles. "I'm trying to find a can of oil. I didn't want to make a mess while I did it, but this place is so disorganized it doesn't seem possible to make it messier."

"Maru has a strange way of organizing things." Dynamite admitted. "If we try to change it, he'll throw a fit. But we generally keep the oil in the cabinet there or the fridge if you want it cold."

"Thanks." Sky moved to the cabinet above the stove, climbing onto the counter to grab a can.

"What do you need oil for?" Pinecone asked.

"I'm taking an offering to the forest spirits." Sky said. "I know, it sounds weird, but Windlifter told me all about them and I swear I saw one. I just want to show I'm grateful since I almost got lost on my last hike."

"Did you actually see one?" Dynamite asked as Sky jumped from the counter and to the floor.

"I thought I did." Sky said. "I could've sworn I saw someone in the forest, so I followed them."

"I'm sure, whoever they are, they'll enjoy the gift." Dipper nodded, the girls bidding Sky farewell as the human woman jogged into the forest behind the base. She kept going, weaving through the trees and hiking under the sun rays striking through the tree branches. It took maybe twenty minutes before she felt a safe enough distance from the base; ergo, away from prying eyes and ears.

Sky looked around. "Hey Nick? Nick! You out here?"

"Wherever you are, _Cuervo."_

Sky smiled broadly as a familiar figure materialized in front of her: a Hughes 500D helicopter painted white and navy blue, with a blue-and-gold helmet and a green visor. A logo on his side read "California Helicopter Patrol." "Hey Nick." Sky greeted.

"Hey there, Sky." Nick Loopin' Lopez greeted, chuckling. He noticed the young woman seemed to be hiding something behind her back. "Whatcha got there?"

"A surprise for you." Sky brought the can of oil around for Nick to see. "Ta-da!"

Nick's amber-colored eyes lit up. "All right! Awesome!"

Sky laughed, placing the can of oil before the ghost and opening it so he could drink. She laughed again when Nick immediately guzzled down at least half the can. "I didn't know ghosts could eat."

Nick paused in his drinking, sighing happily. "Well, we don't get hungry or thirsty, but boy do I miss the taste of a good can."

"So, does it go right through you?" Sky asked, sitting cross-legged before the ghost. "No pun intended, of course."

Nick laughed. "Not sure. I guess we'll find out in a little bit if ghosts need to go to the bathroom." The two of them laughed. Nick continued to constantly watch over Blade, as he had done for over two decades; but since discovering the Soul Connection, Nick also adopted Sky under his watchful eye. Sky was the only one who could see Nick, and he preferred to keep it that way for now. Nick greatly enjoyed the times Sky managed to set aside to talk to him, taking advantage of the quiet moments of fire season. They talked about everything from funny things happening around the base to Sky and Dusty's racing.

"Bonfire nights are fun." Sky bobbed her head. "Last night, we talked about some of our favorite memories on the base. Maru said he liked the 'mishaps' of my and Dusty's training time."

"I will admit the time you sprayed Blade with a fire extinguisher was very funny." Nick chortled.

"Blade didn't think so." Sky laughed. Nick laughed too, finally finishing his can of oil. A thought crossed Sky's mind, and her smile fell a little. "Hey, Nick?"

"Yeah?" Nick asked.

"Does…..uh….does Blade know that you watch over us?" Sky asked. "Like have you ever talked to him the way you talk to me?"

Nick's smile fell, his mood taking a depressing turn. He stared at the ground. "No…no, he doesn't."

"You've been watching him for over twenty years, and he has no idea?" Sky asked.

"I've never actually allowed him to see me." Nick admitted.

"Maybe you should." Sky shrugged.

"I don't think so." Nick said, still staring at the ground.

"Oh, come on." Sky encouraged. "If I get to talk to you, Blade should too. Blade should've been the first to be able to see you. I bet he'd be so happy to see his best friend again."

"I don't think so." Nick asked.

"Why wouldn't he?" Sky shrugged.

"What if he isn't happy to see me?" Nick said. "What if seeing my ghost forces him into a relapse of his PTSD?"

Sky blinked in surprise. "Blade has PTSD?"

" _Had_ PTSD. Used to be really bad. It's gotten better over the years, but I'm afraid if I show myself, he'll just fall right back into it again." Nick said. "You weren't there, Sky _._ After I died, Blade was so angry and bitter all the time. He'd snap at everybody. He'd lock himself in his apartment and not come out for days. A year of that led into him having that cold personality for so long."

Sky looked to the ground, remembering when she first met Blade. His arctic blue eyes seemed to reflect his icy cold personality. She had noticed he definitely smiled more often now, except when he slips into Tough and Stern Fire Chief Mode. She looked back to Nick. "So why didn't you show yourself when he was having such a hard time?"

"Like I said, I was afraid of making it worse." Nick sighed. "He still blames himself. I can see it."

"But maybe you two seeing each other would be beneficial, for the both of you." Sky suggested.

"No." Nick sighed. "No, I really don't think so."

Sky sighed too. "But—"

"Look, I really don't want to talk about it, all right?" Nick said, his tone pleading. He perked up a bit. "I gotta go. Blade's going spot fire scouting and I gotta follow him." He forced a smile. "Thanks for the oil, _Cuervo._ You're a good friend."

Sky smiled back. "You're welcome." She waved as Nick disappeared, going off to follow Blade on his scouting. She stayed in her spot for another moment before taking the empty can of oil and returning to the base.

* * *

When Blade invited his Soul Connect partner to stay in his hanger during her and Dusty's time on the base, Sky insisted on the hammock and platform/ladder so Blade wouldn't accidentally roll off his bed and run her over in the middle of the night. Even though Blade constantly assured her he would never run her over, he let her hook up the hammock so she'd feel comfortable. Sky thought for sure this meant she wouldn't be able to roll out of bed.

She didn't expect one of Blade's rotors to clip her shoulder, though. Sky groaned painfully, rolling over in her hammock. "Dang it, Blade! There are better ways to wake me up in the morning." But as she wearily blinked her eyes open, Sky realized it wasn't morning; in fact, it was still the middle of the night. Sky sat straight up in her hammock and whipped her head around to Blade. The red-and-white AgustaWestland muttered in his sleep, jerking now and then and his eyes squeezed shut as though he were in pain.

 _Not another nightmare._ Sky mentally groaned, but her concern for her friend spurred her into action. "Blade! Blade, hey!" She quickly got out of her hammock and climbed/jumped to the ground, approaching Blade and stopping near his nose. She slapped him lightly a few times. "Blade, wake up! You're having a nightmare! You gotta wake up!" But Blade continued to mutter, his words barely discernable, and he winced like someone beat him over the canopy with a baseball bat. Sky slapped him harder. "Blade! For heaven's sake, wake up!" Sky felt at a loss when Blade still didn't respond to her. The only other time she saw these kinds of reactions were when Skipper had nightmares. Unfortunately, the only way to fix it required something Blade hated.

But Sky couldn't wait any longer.

"Sorry about this, Blade." Sky sighed, pressing her hands to black section of Blade's muzzle. Their Soul Connection activated, and Sky's irises turned white as she synced herself with Blade's conscious.

The next time Sky blinked, she found her surroundings changed. Instead of being in Blade's hanger, she stood in the midst of a forest in flames. She shuddered briefly, remembering her time when she was in a coma after Dusty's crash. But she shook it off to search for Blade. The flames licked at her skin as she ran through the forest, but she felt no heat nor burns per the usual. Finally, she skidded to a halt at a scene that would terrify the common person. Blade stood in a burning clearing, decked out in his _"CHoPs"_ paintjob and his hoist caught in a pile of fallen, flaming trees. Off to one side rested a beaten and damaged Nick, about to be crushed by a tree that tilted far to one side. On the other side was a river with whitewater rapids, and Sky could see Dusty trapped in the mix of water and logs. Sky looked behind her and inexplicably saw the main hanger at the base, currently aflame. But the amount of fire didn't scare her and it didn't seem to scare Blade. What seemed to put Blade over the edge was the screaming. Sky listened carefully, her heart clenching at what she heard: Nick's weakened pleas, Dusty's terrified calls, and the entire Air Attack team's jumbled mess of panicked shouts. Everyone shouted at once, but Sky could clearly pick up what they said.

 _Help us! Help us, Blade!_

 _Blade, please!_

 _Don't just stand there! Do something!_

 _Don't let me die!_

 _Please just help me!_

 _Get us out of here!_

 _Blade, do something!_

Sky hurried to Blade, who struggled to free himself from the pile of burning trees. As she came closer, she finally heard his mutterings. Blade stuttered and murmured apologies, begging for forgiveness and desperately trying to get out. He looked close to tears, so weak and fragile, and Sky couldn't believe the brave and tough fire chief he knew could be this way.

"Blade!" She shouted, standing right in front of the helicopter. "Blade, you need to wake up! None of this is real! Everyone's okay, and you have to wake up and see that!"

Blade didn't seem to register what Sky said. He stared right through her, his eyes wide and panicky behind his green visor.

"Blade!" Sky slapped her hands on his muzzle, trying to force him to focus on her. "Wake up right now! It's okay! None of this is real!"

Blade's mutterings abruptly halted. "Sky. Sky, don't die. I'm trying to help. Please, don't die."

Sky looked around, but the scenery remained the same, and she had to wonder what Blade saw her as in this horrific nightmare. Blade suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, his mutterings become more feverish. Sky growled in frustration, turning away from Blade to glare at the nightmarish scene. "All right, that does it! This dream is under new management!"

Sky focused on her powers, and then she crossed her arms in an X in front of her. She stomped one foot against the ground and pushed her hands out. Instantly, a wave of light passed over the area and changed the flaming forest of death to a tranquil, living forest in Piston Peak. The sun stretched across a clear blue sky and the trees were a deep, dark green to add to the calmness. Sky nodded in satisfaction and looked back to Blade. He was still in his _"CHoPs"_ paintjob and his eyes remained shut, but his muttering became quieter.

"Blade. Blade, it's okay now. I'm right here." Sky said soothingly, stepping up to the AgustaWestland. She placed a comforting hand on his muzzle, and another wave of light passed over him to change his paint to the red-and-white he wore today. His muttering stopped. Sky smiled softly. "Blade, open your eyes. I'm right here."

Blade hesitantly obeyed, and his icy blue eyes locked onto Sky's blue-green ones. "Raven?"

 _He's calling me by my nickname. That's a good sign._ Sky thought. "Hey Blade."

When Blade realized he talked to Real Sky and not Dream/Nightmare Sky, he suddenly frowned. _She did it again!_ He realized. "What have I told you about coming into my dreams without my permission?"

Sky frowned back, her hands on her hips. "What have I told _you_ about talking to me when you're having nightmares like this?" She groaned, running her hand through her hair. "Blade, you said those dreams were getting better."

"They are." Blade said. "They're getting much more creative and a heck of a lot scarier."

Sky groaned again. "Blade….."

"Don't take that tone with me! I hate that tone!" Blade snapped. It was the tone Sky used that sounded pitiful, like she tried to say "you poor thing, what can I do to help?" Blade hated it. It made him feel like a helpless victim, but he wouldn't stand for it. "How do you know how to change dreams, anyway?" Blade grumbled.

Sky narrowed her eyes a bit. "I have quite a bit of practice from when I have to do the same thing for my _Navy commander father_ when _he_ has nightmares."

Blade went silent, having almost forgotten that Skipper fought in World War II. He must get night terrors as bad as Blade does, maybe worse. _But he's a stay-at-home veteran now. He doesn't have to deal with the fear of losing another friend._ Blade thought, sighing.

Sky's gaze softened. It did take some practice on her part, but for as long as she could remember she had the power to go into people's dreams and change them. Skipper got used to it after a while and even thanked Sky when she did it. Sparky certainly seemed grateful too. But Blade constantly pushed her away when she tried to help. _Soul Connect partners don't do that._ Sky thought, wanting to tell this to Blade but unsure how he would react. Besides, using their Soul Connection was a pretty weak excuse. So she tried a different approach as she relaxed herself. "This is the fifth nightmare this week, but somehow this seems like the worse one. You haven't had dreams like this for weeks. Why is that?"

Blade glanced up to her, then sighed. "Today's the anniversary of Nick's crash."

Sky cringed a bit. "Oh….." _That explains a lot._ She thought back to what Nick said about Blade's PTSD after his death. Did those feelings come back every year around this time? Even Skipper had recurring nightmares around the anniversary of what happened at Glendal Canal. To deal with that pain for so long...Sky couldn't even imagine it. As she stood with Blade in the dreamscape forest, she wondered if she should reveal Nick's presence on the base and how he always watched over Blade. But then she remembered Nick's reaction when she brought it up. Out of respect for Nick, Sky decided against it for now.

"I've had to deal with these nightmares for years. I can do it now like I've done it in the past." Blade said, interrupted Sky's thoughts.

"But you don't _have_ to suffer through this alone." Sky insisted. "I can help."

"I don't need your help." Blade muttered bitterly.

Sky glared. "No, it's that you don't _want_ my help." Blade didn't respond, looking away from her. Sky kept glaring, and she huffed. "Fine. Be that way. But let me tell you this, Blade: your dreams, your fears, they don't control you; _you_ control _them._ " With that, she turned on her heel and began marching off.

Blade suddenly realized she was leaving. "Whoa, wait a minute! How do I get out of this forest?"

"It's your head!" Sky called without looking back. "You do whatever you want!"

"But I don't know how to do any of that!" Blade protested. But Sky snapped her fingers and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Blade looked around, wondering what the heck he was supposed to do. "Sky? Sky! Sky, seriously, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do!" But Sky didn't reappear, leaving Blade to awkwardly stare at the scenery around him. He growled in irritation. "Women." He muttered. _Well, at least this is better than my nightmares._

Sky blinked and found herself back in the hanger. Blade, still asleep, looked much more relaxed. But Sky only huffed as she marched back to her hammock. "Men. Typical. 'Oh, I'm going to handle this all by myself because I don't know when to accept help from the people who care about me.' Ugh!" She hunkered down into her hammock, crossing her arms and closing her eyes to sleep. After a minute, she heard muttering again, and she opened her eyes to look over at Blade. He didn't fidget so much as he did before, but he still squeezed his eyes shut and he muttered incoherently again. Sky's anger melted, and she quietly snuck back down towards him. She paused, knowing Blade _definitely_ wouldn't want to see her in his dreams again. Sky stared at her hand. Times like this made her ponder her powers; were they some sort of supernatural force, like magic? Or was it something else? Sky never really knew. In all her research, she found there seemed to be a difference between magic and the powers of a psyche human.

 _No matter what they are, they let me help my friends. So I'm grateful._ Sky thought. She gently placed a hand on Blade's side. "No more nightmares tonight." Sky whispered. "Have only sweet dreams and sleep peacefully."

Her powers obeyed her will, and Blade stopped muttering as he relaxed. He sighed softly, content, and Sky smiled as she gently patted Blade's side.

"Goodnight, Blade."

* * *

When Sky awoke the next morning, she almost fell out of her hammock scrambling to get out the door. She overslept by a lot; it was already eight o'clock. She normally woke up early to scout for spot fires with Blade. But when she finally got dressed, she found a note taped to the door from the fire chief.

 _Went scouting. Will be back later for lunch. Enjoy the extra hours of sleep._

Sky wasn't sure if this was Blade's way of thanking her or punishing her for invading his dreams last night. But she knew she was already too awake to go back to sleep, so she departed for the kitchen to make herself breakfast. The Smokejumper boys were still sound asleep, and everyone else went about their business and waited for the siren to go off (though hoping it wouldn't today; it was too nice out to fight fires). Sky made herself a sandwich, but only ate half of it before putting the rest away for lunch. She didn't really want to talk to anybody, so she walked off into the forest for time alone.

She didn't stay alone for long. "Hey _Cuervo._ _¿Qué pasa?_ "

Sky glanced over to see Nick floating beside her, apparently joining in on her hike. "Hey Nick."

"You okay?" Nick asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, I guess." Sky shrugged. "Just thinking about Blade." She looked to Nick with an almost pleading gaze. "Are you sure you can't show yourself to him?"

"We've been over this, Sky." Nick sighed.

"But talking to him will help him heal. I know it." Sky insisted. "I just witnessed one of the worst of Blade's nightmares. And I mean a really bad one. Usually his nightmares—"

"Don't talk to me about Blade's nightmares, Skylar Riley." Nick said in a firm, almost scolding tone. "You weren't the first one to witness them."

Sky paused, and she mentally kicked herself for not thinking of that sooner. Of course, since Nick was a ghost, surely he had the ability to go into Blade's head while he slept and see those dreams. "Then you have to understand. He's still scarred, like _really_ badly. And I know that if you could talk to him, he'll get better."

"Why do you put so much faith in me?" Nick asked, confused and almost scared.

"Because _you're_ his best friend." Sky said.

"Not anymore." Nick scoffed softly. "That's your job, now."

"No, my job is to work with him as a firefighter and be his Soul Connect partner." Sky corrected. "Blade's part of my family, and I'm going to do everything I can to help him. But there's only so much I can do. He told me himself that I can't replace his best friend."

Nick sighed. "I just….I don't want to hurt him."

"You don't know that you will."

"And if I do?"

"Isn't that a chance you're just going to have to take?"

Nick paused, staring off into space. Sky waited patiently for his response. Nick thought about the past several years he spent watching over Blade. Always a spectator. Never actually getting to tell Blade how proud he was that his best friend did such amazing things. As much as Nick wanted to deny it, he just couldn't. "I want to talk to him. To tell him that I think what he does is so cool." Nick breathed. He took in a breath and let it out slowly. Then his lips stretched into a warm grin. "Let's do it."

"Really?" Sky asked excitedly.

"Yeah. But we gotta plan it right. We don't wanna put him into shock." Nick said.

Sky nodded excitedly. "Yeah! We just have to think of a way to sort of reintroduce you two."

* * *

Blade woke up that morning conflicted. He hated it when Sky intruded on his nightmares, but at the same time he felt rather touched that she cared so much to help him in the middle of the night. So when he woke up to go scouting, he decided to let Sky sleep in. Hopefully a little time away from each other would help them cool down so they wouldn't be mad for the rest of the day.

After finding no fires or signs of a potential fire, Blade returned to base to find Sky waving to him in front of his hanger. She wore a warm grin, and Blade felt his nerves ease. _Maybe she's not as mad as I thought. Or she's about to get back at me in the worst way._ Blade landed before his hanger and Sky approached him. "All right, Raven. What's that grin for?"

"I can't just be smiling?" Sky shrugged, giggling.

"Nope." Blade said simply.

Sky laughed. "I'm just excited. I want to show you something."

Blade narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Show me what?"

"It's a surprise." Sky said in a sing-song voice. She laughed again when Blade raised an eye frame at her. "You'll like it. I promise."

Blade analyzed her with his gaze for a moment before sighing. "Fine. Where is it?"

Sky tried to keep a lid on her excitement, but she couldn't stop smiling as Blade flew her over the park to where they would meet Nick. Blade landed in a clearing, and Sky hopped out of his hoist hatch and led him through the forest. They followed the old train tracks for a while, but ultimately Sky's destination was Airway Meadow. When they came a short distance away, Sky stopped.

"The surprise is right through there." Sky gestured towards the trees. "Go on and see it and I'll catch up."

Blade looked back and forth between Sky and the meadow, currently hidden by the trees. "If one of the Smokejumpers comes out and tries to scare me—"

"Nobody is going to try and scare you!" Sky laughed. "Just go on. You'll like it."

Blade rolled his eyes. _Just do it and get it over with or she'll never leave you alone._ So he rolled off into the trees and towards the meadow. Sky bit her lip to keep herself from squeaking excitedly.

Waiting in the trees on the other side of the meadow, Nick couldn't stop murmuring to himself. "Okay. Okay, just focus, Lopez. You can do this." He glanced to the meadow, but Blade hadn't arrived yet. "What do I say? Uh, 'Hey Blade! It's your old partner who's now dead!' No, no, that's stupid. 'Blade, I know this is going to come as a shock, but it's me, Nick.' No, that's worse. Uh, maybe I could trying speaking Spanish? Nah, that'll just make it weird." Nick groaned. "Come on! You can do this. He's your best friend and you've been wanting to talk to him for ages. Just go out there slowly and let him react." He nodded to himself, fully prepared, and looked out as Blade entered the meadow.

Nick froze, staring at his best friend. Anything and everything he was about to say disappeared in an instant. Only Nick could see it, having watched Blade since the day he died. But he could see it clear as day: a new light in Blade's eyes. Those icy blue eyes didn't hold the same coldness they used to have. Ironically enough, they looked warm and comforting. These were not the eyes of a torn soul, tormented by nightmares. The arctic feeling of Blade's eyes seemed to have dulled to only a frost.

When Blade had disappeared, Sky hurried around to be on the other side of the meadow, hiding amongst some bushes. She could hardly contain her ecstasy, trying to imagine how Blade would react at first. But she didn't dare ruin the surprise. Besides, this was a special moment for Blade and Nick, and she wasn't going to spoil it. So she stayed in the bushes, waiting for the opportune moment to come out and see the two reunited friends.

But a few tense minutes passed, and Sky began to sense something was wrong. She could just see Blade's red-and-white paintjob through the foliage, so he was at the clearing. So where was Nick? Or were both helicopters so shocked they couldn't respond at all? Sky waited another thirty seconds before standing and making her way to the meadow.

"Hey Blade? Blade!" Sky called. She stepped into the clearing and blinked in surprise to find Nick nowhere in sight. But she masked her concern with a smile and began walking towards Blade. The AgustaWestland was still, staring at something behind Sky. _Maybe Nick_ is _here._ Sky thought. "Hey Blade! Did you see—"

"Skylar don't move!" Blade said hurriedly and quietly, his tone panicked and his eyes wide.

Sky froze, her smile dropping. Blade rarely called her by her first name. He only did it when they were in a formal setting or when he was deadly serious about something. "What is it?" Sky whispered.

Blade didn't dare take his eyes off what he stared at. "Very slowly, and very _calmly_ , turn around."

Sky swallowed, carefully shifting her weight to look behind her. She gasped softly in some fear when she saw a pair of wolves, both black-grey in color. The park saw a variety of wildlife, both machine and non-machine alike. But Sky hadn't been this close to wolves since the last time she went to the zoo with Sparky. These wolves growled at Sky, about thirty feet away but still close enough to be dangerous. Blade was another thirty feet away behind her. Sky fought to stay calm; wolves didn't come into town back at Propwash, so she would have to trust that Blade knew what to do.

"Blade?" Sky half-whispered, half-called.

"Don't. Panic." Blade ordered in a hushed tone. "Slowly walk towards me." Sky obeyed, stepping backwards carefully and not taking her eyes off the wolves. The dogs kept growling, but they hadn't moved yet. Sky tried to remember what she learned about wolf hunting patterns, but right now she could only guess that the wolves were planning how they could take them down. Blade started up his rotors and opened his hoist hatch, ready to fly out of there and to safety.

Suddenly, Sky's foot hit a thin, sturdy tree branch and she tripped to the ground. The wolves lunged, but Sky scrambled to her feet and used the branch like a baseball bat to smack one of the wolves aside. The second wolf came around and jumped up, but suddenly Blade's tail whooshed past Sky's head and knocked the second wolf to the ground. Sky noticed Blade's hoist cable and grabbed it, allowing him to pull her up and away from the wolves. Sky hurriedly climbed into the hoist hatch, the door sliding shut and plunging her into near-darkness. Sky panted a bit, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard.

"You all right, Raven?" Blade asked over the radio as he flew over the park.

" _Fine. You?"_ Sky breathed a little heavily, seeming quite freaked out.

"Fine." Blade said. "What kind of surprise was that?"

" _I wasn't trying to show you the wolves!"_ Sky snapped.

"Well what _were_ you trying to show me?" Blade demanded.

Sky didn't answer for a minute. _"I…..uh…..I wanted to show you a forest shrine I found. Windlifter told me all about them, and I thought I found one and I, uh, wanted to show you. I thought you would find it cool."_

Blade blinked in surprise, and then he smiled a little. Maybe it seemed strange that Sky wanted to show him something like that, but it looked like she was just trying to make amends. "Hey, I'm sure it would've been cool."

Sky laughed a little. _"Yeah."_

"Listen, don't worry about it." Blade encouraged. "We gotta find Jammer and let him know about the wolves."

* * *

By the time Blade reached the lodge, Sky calmed down considerably and the two of them wandered inside to find Jammer. The lodge hadn't changed much in appearance since Cad's dismissal, but it definitely became quieter. Thankfully, Blade and Sky managed to catch Jammer in his office and reported the wolves.

"Oh yeah, we've gotten a couple other reports from the campers." Jammer said. "The wolf populations are growing in the park because a lot of them are moving here looking for prey."

"There's not enough in the rest of California?" Sky asked, mostly out of curiosity.

"It's been a dry year." Blade explained. "In the summer especially, less rain is less food for prey, which means less food for predators. That's when animals like wolves and mountain lions begin coming into more populated areas." Sky bobbed her head in understanding.

"We don't want to have to hurt the wolves, being a conservation park and all, but we might have a problem if they get to close to campers." Jammer said.

"Can't we capture them and send them to another park or something?" Sky suggested.

"Sure, but we don't want to move the wolves if they don't cause problems. It might interrupt their natural instincts and could cause more issues if we accidentally break up a pack." Jammer said. "I'll put up a notice for the campers to keep their food covered. In the meantime, Blade, tell your firefighters to keep an eye out. If the problem gets too severe, we'll need some help rounding up the wolves."

"Can do, Jammer." Blade nodded.

* * *

On the one hand, Sky was very happy that Blade wasn't mad at her anymore.

On the other hand, she was still quite irritated with a certain ghost.

So there she stood, in the middle of a clearing far from the base, with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. "Nick Enrique Lopez!"

After a minute, Nick appeared with a rather nervous smile on his face. "Hey _Cuervo!_ How's it going?" He chuckled nervously, a sound that transitioned into a groan when Sky's glare didn't waver. "You're mad at me, aren't you?"

"Quite." Sky said. "What happened back there?"

"I got scared." Nick admitted.

"Of Blade or the wolves?" Sky asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Both." Nick said.

Sky rolled her eyes. "Nick—"

"You weren't there!" Nick suddenly snapped, shocking Sky into silence. Nick sighed heavily, staring at the ground. "You weren't there to see what I saw. Maybe you don't even see it like I do."

"See what?" Sky asked.

"Just…..Blade….." Nick sighed. "He's different. Happier. Maybe he still blames himself for what happened, but he's actually starting to look like the Blade I remember. I know he can climb out of his grief and if he can't do it alone, he can do it with your help."

"Nick, I can only do so much." Sky protested. "I can change a bad dream into a good one without him knowing, but I can't do everything on my own even with a Soul Connection. I worry about Blade when Dusty and I return to Propwash Junction. There are nights when I can't sleep because I'm worried he's having another nightmare. I don't worry about Skipper because he's got Sparky there to talk to. Blade doesn't talk to anyone on the base about these things; I often have to force answers out of him. If you could talk to him when he needs it, be there and be that friend he can talk to, I know he will get better. I can't be you, Nick." Sky stepped closer to the ghost, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "I need your help. I need you to be there; _Blade_ needs you to be there."

Nick stared at Sky. He wanted to scream in frustration and tell her just how much he wanted to reveal himself to Blade. But his desire to actually talk to his friend waged war with his fear of sending Blade into an even deeper pit of despair; one he could very well never climb out of. "I'm sorry, _Cuervo._ I truly am. But that's just not an option for me."

Sky opened her mouth to protest, but Nick disappeared before she could. Downtrodden, Sky sighed sadly and began walking back to base. It was mostly quiet; a fire hadn't broken out in a few days, which made everyone both relaxed and a little on edge. But the team simply did what they could to entertain themselves until the siren went off. Sky tried to do the same, spending the rest of the afternoon with Dusty to just talk. If Dusty noticed how down she appeared, he didn't push her to reveal what she thought about.

That night, sleep decided to evade Sky. No matter what she did, she couldn't seem to find a comfortable position in her normally cozy hammock. She glanced over to where Blade normally slept, but the helicopter was still out on his favorite cliff. So she climbed from her hammock and down to the floor, grabbing her guitar from the corner. She quietly opened the hanger door and looked around, but everyone else still slept soundly and Blade rested in his usual perch out on the cliff. Sky slipped out the door, walking around behind the hanger so she'd have a little more privacy. She settled down on the ground, leaning against a tree and tuning her guitar. It only took a moment for the right song to come to Sky. She listened to and played so much music that she could instantly find the right song to describe her feelings, like a musical mood ring. Sky sighed softly, strumming her guitar.

Blade had been making his way to his hanger to turn in for the night when he heard it. It sounded like the strumming of a guitar, and instantly he assumed Sky the player. _What on earth is she doing up so late?_ Blade wondered, quietly following the sound of the music. He paused at the corner of the hanger, unseen by Sky. He listened as Sky continued to sing, unaware of her audience. Blade didn't really want to interrupt; Sky didn't sing often in front of the other firefighters (or anyone, for that matter), despite constantly being told what a beautiful voice she had. This would be one of the few opportunities Blade could get to listen to her. So Blade stayed quiet, listening to Sky's song.

Dusty once told the team how Sky always played music related to how she felt at the moment. Very rarely did she sing/play just a random song. So Blade found himself really thinking about Sky's song choice. One of the first things that came to his head was what Sky told him after he told her about Nick's death: that she wouldn't leave him alone with his pain because she thought he didn't deserve it.

Blade stared at the ground for a moment before turning and retiring to his hanger. He settled on his bed, ready to sleep. But a few minutes later, the door opened and Sky slipped in. She and Blade locked eyes and Sky paused. They stared at each other for a minute before Sky returned her guitar to the corner where she kept it. Then she walked over and sat down beside Blade, gently leaning back to rest her back against the side of Blade's muzzle. The two of them sat in silence for a long moment.

Blade spoke first. "I never asked you to look out for me."

"You never had to." Sky said with a small shrug.

Another round of silence.

"I tell a lot of horror stories from my time in the orphanage." Sky said. "Some people might think I'm exaggerating, but that's because they didn't feel what I felt when I was a kid. The fear that nobody would ever love me. How angry I got when people stared at me in pity." Sky pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them a little. "The nightmares I woke up from, and the nights I spent cowering in bed because I didn't have anyone to comfort me." She sighed, waiting for a response from Blade. But the helicopter was silent, allowing her to continue. "It's a scary feeling, and it hurts. It hurts a lot. I have a new family, and I don't want any of them to feel that kind of pain. Especially not Skipper…and you….." She stared at the ground. "If I can do something to help prevent that kind of pain, I'm going to do it. It's not fair for someone to be left alone with something that hurts them."

Blade didn't take his eyes off Sky, and silence echoed around them. Then, he smiled and nuzzled the girl lovingly. Sky turned towards him, staring hopefully. Blade chuckled a little. "You're one special kid, Sky. Your family is lucky to have you."

Sky stared at Blade for a moment before she smiled broadly. She laughed lightly and she hugged him as best as she could, resting her head on his muzzle. The two of them fell silent again, this time peaceful and content.

Outside the window, unseen by the duo, Nick watched the tender scene with misty eyes. He longed to be in there with him, but he couldn't force himself to move. Tears appeared in his eyes, but they disappeared when they dripped off him. Finally unable to bear it any longer, Nick disappeared to cry alone.

As he had done for years.

* * *

For the next the week, things seemed to go back to normal. The team fought a couple fires and the wolves didn't go near the campers. But Sky also noticed Nick didn't come to see her anymore. She hoped he wasn't too mad, and did what she could to focus more on her job.

Like today, when she joined Blade for some spot fire scouting. She rode in the hoist hatch, Blade keeping the door open this time so she could see everything. She was careful to keep her harness attached to the winch, leaning out the hatch a ways to look around.

"Anything from you're vantage point?" Blade asked.

"Nope! What about you?" Sky asked.

"Nothing." Blade said. He took another careful look around, making a mental note that they flew over Augerin Canyon now. The bridge seemed empty save for two human boys and a car, all of them looking about teenager age based on their size. Blade narrowed his eyes. "Wait. What are they doing?"

Sky pulled a miniature telescope from her pocket and looked towards the bridge. The teenagers sat almost dead center of the bridge, messing with a cylindrical object. "It looks like some sort of model rocket."

Blade rolled his eyes. "Oh great."

"This happen before?" Sky asked, putting the telescope away.

"Not this specifically, but you always find stupid teenagers doing stupid stuff." Blade sighed. "Think you can get a picture of them or something so we can tell Jammer?"

"You got it." Sky nodded, pulling out her cell phone.

Blade began flying towards the bridge, aiming to hover above the boys. "Hey! You down there!"

"Oh Chevy!" one of the boys yelped. "Run for it!" They hurried off, but not before Sky could snap a picture of them. Then she noticed something, zooming in with the camera phone to check it out.

"They lit the fuse." Sky groaned, putting her phone away.

"We'll just let it go off and go find the rocket before an animal does." Blade said, beginning to rise out of the canyon.

Suddenly, the rocket shot up into the air with much more force and sparks than a normal model rocket. Sky's eyes widened. "That's not—"

Too late. What they thought was a model rocket turned out to be a firework, which exploded right in front of Blade. Lights burst in front of his vision and all he heard after the boom was a bunch of ringing. Sky screamed, jumping back to avoid the sparks. A downdraft pushed the helicopter from the sparks and smoke, but he was still so disoriented he couldn't get his bearings. But he still had enough conscious thought to close his hoist hatch and keep Sky safe. Everything became a swirl of colors, and he fought to get control of his rotors. Meanwhile, Sky tumbled about inside the hoist hatch, yelping and grunting in pain. It finally stopped after several seconds, and Sky landed painfully on her side. She groaned, pushing herself upright and moving her limbs a bit to make sure nothing broke. Thankfully, everything was intact but sore.

"Blade?" Sky called. "You all right?" But Blade didn't respond, not even over the radio. Sky made her way to the door and pulled an emergency lever on one side, installed by Maru for rare situations like this. The door popped open enough for Sky to push it a ways more and let her squeeze out. She found Blade crash-landed on the rocky shore of the river at the bottom of the canyon. Blade didn't look too bad apart from some new dents in his retardant tank and the fact that he was out cold. Sky gently placed a hand on Blade's side, activating their Soul Connection. Thankfully, she easily felt pulses of life that indicated the helicopter would be all right. But he was completely unresponsive, and his consciousness didn't seem active. Sky winced in sympathy. "Oh man, Blade. You really _are_ out cold." She laughed softly, patting Blade's side. "You're going to have one heck of a headache when you wake up."

"Sky!"

Sky let out a small scream, jumping and spinning around. She sighed heavily and put a hand to her chest. "Nick! Oh, geez, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry." The ghost said sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" Sky asked. "I haven't seen you all week."

"Just because I'm not going to show myself to Blade doesn't mean I'll stop watching over him and you." Nick said. "I was there when you guys got hit, and I had to do something."

Sky glanced to Blade, noting the rocks he rested on. The last time he crash-landed, it was into dirt and still left more damage than this. Sky looked back at Nick. "You cushioned the fall?"

Nick looked a little sheepish again. "Well, you know, I can only do so much since I'm a ghost. But I wasn't going to let you guys get hurt."

Sky smiled broadly. "Thanks, Nick. Really. Blade's going to be okay because of you." She glanced up to the walls of the canyon. "Right now, we just have to worry about getting out of here."

"Can't Blade just fly out?" Nick suggested.

"Not here." Sky said regretfully. "See those rock pillars? They're way too close for comfort, even if they're just outside of Blade's rotor span. We could try flying, but one wrong move and his rotors get sheared off, and then Maru will kill us."

"So you're stuck here?" Nick asked, panicked.

"No." Sky said, calming the ghost. "I'm just going to call Windlifter to get us to a clearer spot to take off. Better safe than sorry." She readjusted her wire headset, pulling the microphone closer to her mouth. She twisted the knob on the radio, clipped to her jeans, until she found the right channel. "This is Jolly Wrench Riley calling Windlifter. Blade and I had a minor crash and now we're stuck at the bottom of Augerin Canyon. Requesting airlift support, over." Sky listened for Windlifter's response. But all that came back was a soft static sound. Sky tried again. "Windlifter, come in. This is Skylar Riley, requesting an airlift for Blade out of Augerin Canyon. Blade's all right, but we need some help." Again, only static returned, and Sky began to feel anxious.

"What's wrong, _Cuervo_?" Nick asked.

"Windlifter's not responding. Hang on." Sky switched the radio channel. "Maru, it's Skylar. Blade and I are stuck at the bottom of Augerin Canyon and we need airlift support. Do you read me? Over." Static. "Maru, come in!" Static. Sky switched through several channels. "Patch? Patch, do you read me? Dipper? Dusty? Cabbie? Smokejumpers? Does anyone read me? Over." Sky strained for any sound, but nothing came. She inspected her radio, but found nothing wrong with it.

"What is it?" Nick asked, definitely growing more and more worried by the second.

Sky looked around. "The walls of the canyon must be blocking the signal. I can't get to anyone."

"Well, what if we wait until Blade wakes up and you guys can hike out?" Nick suggested.

"I don't know." Sky said uncertainly. "I don't want to have to force Blade to try and maneuver over these rocks. The river's too deep; if he falls in for any reason, he could get even more stuck and drown. Besides, we have no idea how long he'll be out cold, and I'd like him somewhere safe until he _does_ wake up."

"So what are you going to do?" Nick asked.

"I'm going to hike out myself and call Windlifter. He can pick me up and we'll return for Blade." Sky said. "Meanwhile, I want you to stay with him and make sure he's okay."

"Me?" Nick half-squeaked. "But what am I supposed to do?"

"Just watch him. Make sure he doesn't get any more injured for any reason." Sky said. "Believe me, I wouldn't be leaving him here if you weren't around to keep an eye on him."

Nick glanced back and forth between the raven-haired woman and his unconscious friend. He sighed in resignation. "Okay. I'll make sure nothing happens to him."

"You're the best, Nick." Sky said with a smile. "I'll be back as soon as I can!" She turned and hurried off, jumping/climbing over rocks and following the river towards the entrance of the canyon.

Nick looked to Blade, sighing. "You'll be okay, _hermano._ Just hang in there."

Several minutes passed. Blade didn't move, but Nick could hear his breathing. Nick desperately tried to prevent himself from getting anxious, reminding himself that Sky would be back with Windlifter any minute now. Secretly, he hoped Blade would stay unconscious until then. He didn't want to have to worry about what he would do if Blade woke up and started freaking out because Sky was missing. He could already hear his friends' worried remarks. _Where is she? Did she fall into the river? Has she drowned? I gotta find her!_

"You always were the protective one." Nick murmured, staring at Blade. "Just hold on, okay? Everything's going to be all right." Blade still didn't move, and Nick sighed. "If I were alive, I could actually help you. We couldn't attached your hoist to my landing gear and I would've helped pull you out through the river. But I can't. All I could do was cushion your fall. I'm useless!" He stared at the ground, wishing he could do something, anything more for his friend.

Nick tensed up when he suddenly heard growling, and he whipped around. He gasped a bit in horror to see a pack of wolves, including the two that attacked Sky and Blade last week. The wild dogs eyed Blade hungrily. Non-machine wolves couldn't eat metal, but they could get hungry enough to try and dig through the metal to reach the edible internal organs.

"Hey!" Nick barked, putting himself between the wolves and Blade. "Back off ya mutts!" The wolves snarled and barked, ready to attack. Nick hardly thought about anything except one thing: protect Blade. He glared, enraged, and willed himself to become more visible and tangible. One of the wolves lunged, but Nick hovered in the air and spun around, smacking the wolf aside with his tail. Another one lunged for Nick this time, but the ghost body-slammed the dog into a rock. The other wolves began making their way towards Blade, but Nick was quick to knock them aside. The wolves were persistent, constantly trying to reach Blade or push Nick back. The ghostly helicopter never let the wolves get less than five feet from his friend. Several minutes of fighting passed, with the wolves yelping often as Nick slammed them against rocks. Soon, they backed off, growling/whimpering at Nick.

Nick glared hard, standing protectively over Blade. He emphasized every word in his sentence. "I said back off." He didn't take his eyes off the wolves, watching them turn and run off to find food elsewhere. Nick nodded in satisfaction and turned to look over Blade. But he did his job right; Blade didn't have a scratch on him that came from the wolves. Nick sighed in relief. _He's safe. He's okay._

Then, Blade moaned softly. Nick froze, preparing to turn invisible again. But something stopped him. He felt a pull in his head, a thought he pushed out time and time again. _Show yourself. Let him see you. Let him know you're there._ But he couldn't.

 _I'm not ready._ Nick thought. _I can't do it._ But as Blade fought to regain his consciousness, Nick found he still couldn't force himself to disappear. A memory popped up in his mind. One night, he had watched Sky exit the main hanger after a few _"CHoPs"_ episodes, but she must've heard something because she wandered around the side of the hanger. Nick, still invisible, followed her to find Blade under one of the hanger windows, well-hidden from the rest of the team inside. It took a bit of quiet coaxing from Sky to get Blade to explain why he was out there (and why he hadn't busted the team for watching _"CHoPs"_ episodes behind his back).

 _I'm just listening to Nick's voice._ Blade had explained. _Wouldn't want to forget it, you know?_

He had said it so nonchalantly, and maybe that's why it hurt Nick even more than what he said. As much as Nick tried to deny it, tried to force himself to stay hidden because he thought it was best for Blade, he wanted so badly to actually talk to him. He wanted to talk to his best friend and let him know that not once did he _ever_ blame Blade for his death.

Blade finally won in his fight against another round of unconsciousness. _Sky…..Sky, where are you?_ But Sky wouldn't respond to his thoughts, which meant one of three things:

One, she was unconscious too.

Two, she somehow got thrown out of the hoist hatch.

Three, she got out of the hoist hatch and ran for help.

Or, though Blade didn't want to jump to conclusions, Sky was dead. But he had a feeling that wouldn't be the case, and he struggled to open his eyes so he could get a sense of how long he had been out. The light hurt his eyes a bit, but he just blinked a few times to get used to it. He had to blink a few more times to turn the blur of colors into a clear image of his surroundings, but when he could finally see he noticed he rested next to the river at the bottom of Augerin Canyon with a….with…

Blade blinked a bit, narrowing his eyes in confusion. That paintjob. That warm grin. Those bright, amber eyes. "Nick?"

Nick sighed, feeling all the stress he experience from the past couple weeks fall away like leaves in autumn. "Hey _hermano._ "

Blade stared with his eyes half-open, his brain not quite registering everything. Was it a hallucination? Or was he really seeing his best friend in front of him? It certainly looked like Nick. He couldn't stop smiling, and…..tears? Nick was crying? Whatever from?

Nick jumped a bit when he heard a familiar sound of rotors in the air, and he vanished.

"Nick?" Blade croaked, looking around.

"Blade!" Sky called as Windlifter lowered her and a rescue harness into the canyon. Maru had hooked up longer cables to the harness to Windlifter could make it into the canyon without damaging his rotors and still retrieve Blade. Sky jumped off the harness and hurried to Blade. "Hey! You're awake. Good. Are you doing all right?"

Blade didn't answer, murmuring under his breath. "Nick…"

Sky paused. "What?" She leaned down a little closer to his mouth to hear him over Windlifter's rotors chopping in the air.

"Nick…" Blade murmured, sounding confused. "I…..I saw…Nick….."

Sky froze a bit, and then smiled knowingly. She began hooking the fire chief into the rescue harness. "Don't worry, Blade. Just hang tight and we'll get you out of here."

* * *

Maru gave Blade a clean bill of health, but soon after began complaining about how he damaged his retardant tank. Blade rolled his eyes, apparently not affected by his recent crash. He even radioed Jammer after Maru's checkup to report the teenagers.

But as the day wore on, Sky noticed times when Blade seemed deep in thought. It seemed something puzzled him greatly, and Sky could only guess Blade actually saw Nick. Blade wouldn't tell anyone about it, but he couldn't stop thinking about what he thought he saw. It looked so much like Nick. But it couldn't be real. It had to have been a hallucination. Yeah, maybe that was it. He hit his head and thought he saw his long-dead best friend.

But it seemed so real.

That night, Blade perched out on his favorite cliff—as he did most every night—and tried to balance looking out for fires with thinking about what happened in the canyon. Sky watched him from her vantage point at their hanger, leaning on the railing of the porch-like area outside the hanger doors. After a while, Nick appeared beside her, the two of them silently staring at Blade for a moment.

"I'm gonna go talk to him." Nick decided.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Sky shrugged. "I shouldn't have tried to force you into it before. You weren't ready, and I should've respected that. So I'm sorry."

"Thanks, _Cuervo._ " Nick said appreciatively. "But you were right about one thing: Blade might actually need me. With your help, he's been able to start climbing out of that hole he's dug himself into. Maybe…maybe I can give him that last little push."

Sky smiled softly. "You decide what you want to do, Nick. Goodnight." She turned and disappeared into the hanger.

Nick looked out to Blade, and he took in a deep breath. He let it out slowly, settling into his decision. Then he began hopping over towards Blade. When he lived, the sound of his landing gear hitting the ground would always make a soft clanging noise; now, he was only silent, and he began thinking of ways he could announce his presence without causing Blade to freak out. Nick stopped right behind Blade, opening his mouth to speak.

"Hey Nick."

Nick jolted. _"Caramba,_ Blade! _Casi me dio un ataque de motor!"_

When Blade finally responded after a long moment, his voice was so soft Nick almost didn't hear him. "So you _are_ here."

Nick sighed, settling down next to Blade. The two of them sat in silence, staring out at the vast forest of the park. Nick wondered what he could say at that moment, but nothing really came to mind. Everything that did come to mind didn't seem like a good conversation starter. So he just waited for Blade to begin speaking.

"Soon after Cad Spinner cut our budget for his lodge restoration project, he came to us complaining that someone on the base kept dumping snow onto him." Blade said. "This continued for most of the winter, but nobody on the base claimed to be doing it, and Cad couldn't prove it was any of us. Even the Smokejumpers and Maru adamantly claimed they had nothing to do with it." Blade looked over to Nick, his expression unreadable. "Was that you?"

Nick smirked. "You better believe it, _hermano._ Nobody messes with my favorite firefighters and gets away with it." He locked his amber eyes onto Blade's icy blue ones, now alight with a new warmth. "Not once did I leave your side, Blade. You always watched out for me, so I made it my job to do the same."

Blade looked down. "You're not…you know…trapped here, are you? I mean, can you not move on or something?"

Nick shook his nose a bit. "No idea. I guess I could move on if I wanted, but I chose not to. I wanted to stay with my best friend."

Blade smiled, one of the biggest smiles he had ever worn in many years. "You're here. Chrysler, you're actually here."

Nick sighed, relieved to see this positive reaction. "And here I was worried coming back would be a bad thing."

"You kidding?" Blade chuckled softly. "I really missed you, partner."

Nick wanted to start crying again, but he successfully held back his happy tears. "Man, I've missed hearing that."

"Told ya so."

The two helicopters jumped and looked down a bit to see Sky sitting cross-legged between them. "Skylar!" Nick whined exasperatedly.

"When did she get there?" Blade wondered aloud.

Sky laughed, covering her mouth with her hands. Nick glared a bit with a small pout. "Kid, I know where you sleep at night!"

Sky rolled her eyes. "Nick, everyone on this base knows where I sleep at night." She stood and ran off before Nick could snap at her again. Nick rolled his eyes, but smiled when Blade laughed.

"That's one special kid you got for a Soul Connect partner." Nick sighed.

"Yeah." Blade nodded in agreement. "While you're out here, can I ask you about a couple other things?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Nick chuckled.

Blade smiled warmly. "All right. One Halloween, the Smokejumpers were convinced their hanger was haunted. Said things kept falling over and they heard strange noises at night." Blade raised an eye frame. "Care to explain?"

Nick chuckled, albeit nervously. "Yeah, about that….."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this one!**

 **Nick's Spanish (gotten from Google Translate):** _ **"Caramba,**_ **Blade!** _ **Casi me dio un ataque de motor!"**_ **means "Geez, Blade! You nearly gave me an engine attack!"**


	11. First Friend

**A/N: this story and the next chapter were requested by author Olivia . bampton! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **First Friend**

Sparky whistled to himself as he prepared to leave, grabbing a duffel bag on his way to the door. "See ya later, Skip! I'll be back in a bit."

"Enjoy the trip." Skipper said, currently reading a book Sparky found for him. Sparky took a brief moment to analyze Skipper's body language: relaxed, save for his propeller twitching now and then. His eyelids scrunched up a bit, liked he tried much too hard to stay focused on the book he read. Sparky still smiled and waved as he left, hiding his concern. Skipper had another round of night terrors the night before, and Sparky nearly got his hat slapped off by the Corsair's propeller. But Sparky couldn't do much about it for now.

 _Maybe I'll grab something to help him sleep. No medication, though. He hates that._ Sparky thought, making his way to the Fill N' Fly to meet with Mayday. _Some tea. Yeah. Yeah, he likes tea._ Sparky waved to Mayday as the fire truck waited with his human partner Max at the Fill N' Fly. Max talked merrily with Chug and Dusty, two preteen boys who had been good friends since they were toddlers. Sparky didn't have many close friends when he and Skipper moved to Propwash Junction, and then he met Chug, Dusty, Mayday, and Max. Sparky would always be grateful for their kindness.

"Thanks for the ride, Mayday. I hope it's not too much trouble." Sparky said as Max finished hooking up a trailer to the fire truck.

"Not at all." Mayday assured. "I've made longer drives and there's no need for you to have to worry about getting a taxi."

"Well I really appreciate it." Sparky said, rolling into the trailer.

"Where ya goin'?" Chug asked.

"Sterling. It's about an hour from here." Sparky explained. "Gotta get some medical supplies."

"That doesn't sound very fun." Dusty laughed.

"Eh, it won't take long." Sparky said. "See ya, guys!"

"Bye Sparky!" Max, Dusty, and Chug called, waving as Mayday drove off.

* * *

Mayday helped Sparky feel less guilty about the ride by giving the excuse that he was visiting a friend in Sterling. So while Sparky went shopping for his medical supplies, Mayday drove off to one of the smaller suburban areas to talk to his friend. Sparky easily found the gauze and bandages, but he ended up going to three different pharmacies to find the right cold medicine Skipper liked. He had to get a specific kind because if he didn't, Skipper would never take the medicine if he got sick. With winter came the colds, and if Skipper got sick he wouldn't take the medicine unless Sparky forced him to. Finding a cold medicine Skipper actually liked became Sparky's saving grace.

Sparky zipped up the duffel with all his purchases and slung it over his back. He glanced to the clock on the wall on his way out of the pharmacy. "Still got a little time. Maybe I'll have time to pick up groceries while I'm out." Sparky looked around, trying to remember where the nearest supermarket would be. Mayday would call him when he was ready to go, so he could potentially get a couple extra errands done while he was out. Sparky began driving down the sidewalk towards the supermarket, leaving the business area behind and coming to a park. The wide, grassy area sat connected to a small forest, and several benches could be seen set up around the area. A large play structure, made mostly of polished wood and metal, sat dead center of the grassy area. Sand surrounded the structure to cushion any falls from the children playing. Sparky smiled at the sight of the families out and the children laughing as they ran about and played. He always liked kids. Their innocence and generally happy nature was one of the things Sparky missed during the war days, and often during the bad times of the war Sparky wished he could be around a child to lighten the mood.

"Let go of me right now or I'll scream!"

Sparky paused and he spun around, his eyes scanning the area until he spotted the source of the angry tone. A couple teenage boys grabbed the arms of a young girl while a third boy smirked maliciously. The boys dressed in ratty jeans, sneakers, and rock band T-shirts with holes in them. The girl wore sneakers (much cleaner than her assailants), overalls, and a Kelly green T-shirt with sleeves that reached her elbows. She had blue-green eyes, fair skin, and pitch black hair pulled into a ponytail. She looked tiny, about twice the size of a toddler. She struggled so furiously that it became clear why it took two teenage boys to keep her in place.

"What a cute kid." One of the boys laughed. "Think we could have some fun with her?"

"You better let me go or I'm going to put you through unimaginable pain!" the girl snapped.

 _Tiny but mighty._ Sparky mused, wondering how he could help her. But he soon realized he didn't need to help her. When the lead boy tried to get closer to her, she suddenly kicked him in the groin. The boy groaned in pain and fell to the ground. The girl kicked one of the other boys in the shin, forcing him to clutch his wounded leg and hop on his uninjured one. To take care of the other boy, the girl grabbed the teenager's arm and bit him. Once she was free, the girl took off and began sprinting away. The boys soon recovered from their shock and began following her. Sparky hid behind a tree and stuck a tine out, tripping the boys and causing them to fall over each other. Sparky nodded in satisfaction and hurried off, staring after the girl. The little one turned her head briefly to see Sparky's action, but only paused for a millisecond before running again.

"Wonder what that was all about…." Sparky murmured. But the girl already disappeared, so Sparky couldn't do anything more. He continued on to the supermarket for his grocery shopping, but the girl stayed on his mind. He couldn't believe how strong the girl was, able to fight off three teenagers when so young. Sparky wished he could've caught the girl or at least made sure she made it back to her parents all right.

The sound of his cell phone jolted Sparky from his thoughts as he perused the tea aisle. Sparky answered quickly. "Hello?"

" _Hey there Sparky!"_ Mayday greeted. _"Listen, I hate to tell you this, but we had a fire."_

"Fire?" Sparky repeated. "Where?"

" _Just a minor building fire in the neighborhood."_ Mayday explained. _"Old instincts kicked in, so I helped put it out. Now the fire chief of the department here wants my help working out the paperwork and whatnot. You think you can busy yourself until then?"_

"No problem, Mayday." Sparky said. "You do what you need to do. Glad you were there when the fire broke out."

" _Sorry about this."_

"Not at all! Firefighters gotta do what they gotta do. Nothing wrong with that. I got some shopping to finish up anyway. Call me when you're done."

" _Can do, Sparky. See you later!"_

Sparky hung up the phone, resuming his shopping. Once he had everything he needed, he paid for the groceries and began making his way outside. But he paused at the doors to see a familiar face: the girl from before. She currently peered into the coin return slots for the payphone. Searching the third and last phone, she apparently scored as she pulled out a quarter.

"Not much." The girl shrugged. "It'll do." She pocketed the quarter and walked from the store. Sparky paused for a moment before quietly following the girl. The girl continued walking down the sidewalks of Sterling, her hands stuffed in her pockets and her eyes wandering around. She didn't seem to notice Sparky following her all the way back to the park. Sparky parked next to a tree, watching the girl walk over to a bench and climb up to sit on it. Her legs dangled over the side, and she swung them back and forth as she looked around the park area. Sparky watched her for a while—trying to not be creepy about it—and waited for her parents to arrive. But half an hour passed, and nobody came to get the girl.

Sparky couldn't wait anymore. He drove over to the girl and put on a warm smile. "Hey there."

The girl gave him a sideways glance, but didn't speak.

"You're the girl who was attacked by those teenagers, right?" Sparky asked. "Glad to see you made it out okay."

The girl seemed to recognize him as the one who helped her, but she didn't speak to him.

Sparky kept his warm smile, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. "So what are you doing out here? Waiting for your parents?"

The girl finally rolled her eyes. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"

"Ah, she speaks!" Sparky laughed. He abruptly shut his mouth when the girl glared at him. "I just thought you're a little young to be out here on your own."

"I'm eight." The girl snapped. "And we've already talked more than I want to. So why don't you just run along? Or roll along, whatever you vehicles do."

"Hey now, no need to get snappy." Sparky said, keeping a calm tone to his voice. "I was just worried about you."

The girl looked to him with a raised eyebrow, seeming quite perplexed. "Why?"

"Because you almost got snatched, and no matter what your age, that's still a problem." Sparky said. "So will you please just humor me and let me look after you until your parents come?"

The girl stared at him for a moment. She felt touched by the stranger's sentiments, but at the same time she found something quite ironic about his offer. "Thanks, but I'm good."

Sparky stared at the girl, confused and a little worried. She may not think eight years old is very young, but it was a prime age for a child to get kidnapped. So, whether she liked it or not, Sparky decided he had to keep an eye on her. He drove around to park on the other side of the bench, simply looking out at the park. The girl glared at him for a moment before hopping off the bench and journeying over to the swing set next to the play structure. She sat in one of the swings and began rocking herself back and forth, staring at the ground the entire time. But every once in a while, she'd glance up to Sparky to see if he still sat at that bench. He did, and when she looked up he'd wave to her. But the girl didn't return the gesture. This went on for about an hour, only pausing when Sparky answered another call from Mayday.

" _Where can I pick you up?"_ Mayday asked.

Sparky stared at the girl. "Actually, why don't you head home? I'm going to be here for a while longer."

" _I don't think Skipper will like it if I went home without you."_ Mayday said. _"What's wrong?"_

"Nothing. I'm…with a girl….." Sparky said carefully.

" _Oh, so now our own Sparky has a girlfriend?"_ Mayday laughed.

Sparky laughed too. "Not exactly."

" _Well I'm still not leaving here without you in case Skipper gets worried. You know how he is."_ Mayday said. _"Just give me a call on this number and we'll meet up. My buddy over here has been pestering me to come to dinner for about a month."_

Sparky laughed again. "Thanks Mayday. You're the best." He hung up, tucking the cell phone away in his duffel. He knew if he stayed for too long, Skipper would definitely get worried. Sparky was his only friend, after all, especially from the war. But Sparky knew he couldn't just leave this girl all alone.

"Hey."

Sparky jumped, finally noticing the girl had apparently marched up to him, her arms crossed and her lips settled into a frown. "Hey there."

"What's your problem?" the girl demanded. "Are you a stalker or something?"

"Of course not!" Sparky said. "I'm just trying to make sure you get home all right."

The girl tensed up at the word "home," puzzling Sparky. She tucked some loose strands of her raven hair behind her ear. "I was never home in the first place."

That caught Sparky off-guard until he realized what she meant. "Did you…did you run away?"

The girl sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I ran away, okay? No big deal."

"It's kind of a big deal." Sparky said. "Why'd you run away?"

"That's none of your car wax." The girl snapped. "You sound like my…mother….." She trailed off a bit, as though she caught herself from saying something she didn't want to.

Sparky thought about pushing it out of habit; he often forced Skipper to talk about things troubling him. But this wasn't Skipper (no matter how much the girl reminded Sparky of the Corsair). So Sparky smiled kindly. "Hey, come with me."

"Why?" the girl asked curiously.

"I know a really awesome ice cream place downtown." Sparky said. "My treat." The girl stared at him for a moment, but ultimately decided to walk alongside him as they began making their way down into town. Sparky figured he had to at least watch over the kid until he could figure out a way to get her home. "By the way, my name's Sparky."

The girl glanced to him, her blue-green eyes a bit gentler now. "I'm Skylar."

* * *

Skylar didn't want to take Sparky's offer at first, but ice cream was one of her guilty pleasures, and she couldn't refuse when Sparky bought her a dish of chocolate. Sparky got himself the same. She still insisted on helping him pay, so she gave him the quarter she found in the phone booth.

"You still haven't answered my question." Skylar said as she ate, trying to savor every bite since she didn't know when she'd be able to get ice cream again. "Why are you so concerned about me getting back to where I live?"

"You were almost hurt, maybe even kidnapped." Sparky said. "Since I was the one who helped you get away, I figured I had to help you get back to wherever you came from. What kind of person would I be if I didn't?"

"A normal, everyday Average Joe?" Skylar pointed out.

Sparky chuckled. "Yeah, I guess. Being a medic and all, I can't really just leave someone alone if they need help."

"You're a medic?" Skylar seemed interested. "Like a nurse?"

"Yes and no. I am a registered nurse, but I'm retired from the Navy." Sparky explained. "I work with a buddy of mine."

"Cool." Skylar breathed. "And here I thought I was good by getting past first grade." She giggled a bit, and Sparky laughed. The girl seemed to get more open as they talked, and he had to admit that she looked rather cute when she smiled. Of course, she didn't really start to open up until they got to the ice cream shop, and Sparky knew he would have to tread carefully. Skylar's secretive and reserved nature was another thing that reminded Sparky of Skipper.

 _Let's test a theory._ Sparky cleared his throat a bit. "So…..why _did_ you run away?"

Just as Sparky predicted, Skylar's smile fell away and she stared at her ice cream. She immediately spooned a large portion of the dessert into her mouth. Of course, seconds later, the action resulted in a brain freeze (to Sparky's amusement). Sparky knew he would have to avoid questions like that if he wanted the girl's trust.

"Do you always have to pry into other people's business?" Skylar demanded bitterly.

"Force of habit. Kind of a job requirement." Sparky shrugged his tines. "Besides, you already know a lot about me, but I know nothing about you."

"Oh really?" Skylar raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you're eight years old and just finished first grade." Sparky said. "You're name is Skylar. And you like chocolate ice cream. That's it. But you know my name, my occupation, and even where I live."

Skylar couldn't deny that. Sparky tried to make light conversation on the way to the ice cream shop, and he had told her he lived in a town called Propwash Junction. "I just…my life story isn't really one I want to share." Skylar shrugged, eating more of her ice cream.

Sparky nodded in understanding. "Makes sense."

Skylar waited for Sparky to ask another question. But he just kept eating. "You're not going to push it?"

"Not with you. At least not today." Sparky said.

Skylar almost dropped her spoon. Who was this guy? He didn't pry into her personal issues like other people in her life. He always flashed a very genuine smile, and he didn't look like he analyzed her like a scientist would study a lab rat. He was just…being friendly. Skylar wasn't sure how to respond to it, but she welcomed the change. Too often did she feel like the victim of a stereotypical mental illness that a psychologist slapped on her. Sparky noticed Skylar's somewhat shocked reaction, and he knew he made progress. None of this was new to him. He saw plenty instances like Skylar's and even Skipper's, where someone became hit with a traumatic experience or a hard life and it forced them into a shell like a shy clam. But Sparky learned to be a medic for the Navy so he could help people with these problems. No labeling, no pushing for a solution; just gentleness and steadily gaining that person's trust.

After ice cream, Sparky convinced Skylar to join him in returning to the park. Skylar actually smiled broadly and agreed, even when she tried to hide her excitement. They spent a couple hours at the park, playing tag for a bit and taking time for Sparky to push Skylar in a swing. Sparky heard Skylar laughing now and then, and he laughed along with her. Just as he suspected, the little girl only needed some TLC and someone to listen to her. Skylar still wouldn't tell Sparky much of anything, but she gave off a happier energy in comparison to her previously hostile nature. Sparky let her talk about whatever she wanted, just thankful she finally seemed to let him in.

Halfway through another round of tag, Sparky noticed Skylar go completely still. He noticed she stared into the small forest area behind the park, and he carefully came around to see what captivated her interest. Sparky gasped softly when he saw a deere, a young buck, grazing on some grass amongst the trees. The black rack on top of the vehicular animal was small, indicating he still was still transitioning from juvenile to adult. He didn't notice Skylar until the animal wandered just a few feet away from the girl. The deere looked up and paused, his mirrors flicking as he stared at Skylar in curiosity. Skylar remained perfectly still and relaxed, smiling softly at the deere. The deere inched closer to Skylar, sniffing her. Ever so slowly, Skylar raised her hand and held it out towards the animal. The deere flinched a bit, but tentatively sniffed the girl. She giggled as the deere rubbed his nose against her hand and even licked it a bit. Sparky watched the tranquil interaction with awe, amazed by how Skylar responded to the presence of the animal.

After a while, the deere grew bored with Skylar and took off into the forest. Skylar laughed, turning and discovering Sparky watched the entire scene. She rubbed the back of her head albeit nervously. "I….I like animals…."

"So do I." Sparky agreed. "I used to have a tabby cat when I was a kid. You got any pets?"

Skylar's smile faltered, but she fought to keep it up. "Nope."

Sparky noticed Skylar's body language change. Her shoulders hunched forward, and her head dipped down about an inch. Her eyes seemed to stare through Sparky rather than at him, and she stuffed her hands in her overalls pockets. _So much for casual conversation._ Sparky thought. _Even the simplest of questions about her life make her uncomfortable. This just doesn't add up to a simple feeling of unhappiness at home._

"Let's go play on the swings again. Please?" Skylar asked.

Sparky smiled. "Sure thing."

They traveled back to the swing set, and Sparky began pushing the girl to help her swing back and forth. As Skylar got higher, she spread her arms out and leaned her head back to let the wind wash over her. Sparky chuckled at the girl's actions. "What are you doing?"

"Flying." Skylar replied, laughing. "Well, at least I'm pretending to."

"You want to fly when you grow up?" Sparky asked.

"I want to fly whenever I get the chance." Skylar shrugged. "Wouldn't that be great? Leaving the ground behind and soaring through the sky. It's my dream to fly."

Sparky smiled warmly. "I bet when you do, you really will soar."

Skylar's smile grew. "Thanks, Sparky."

They spent another hour on the swings, and then sat on a bench to rest for a while. The sun began to touch the horizon, indicating the coming of evening. Skylar stared towards the pinkish-blue of the twilight sky.

"It's getting late." Sparky noted.

"Yeah." Skylar agreed.

A pause between them.

"I should be getting home." Sparky added.

"Yeah." Skylar repeated.

Sparky looked to Skylar. She continued to stare up, leaning back into the bench and hanging her head off the top of the backrest. Sparky sighed. "Skylar, I know you don't wanna talk about it, but I have to ask you an important question about your…..erm, where you live."

Skylar lifted her head and looked to him, her eyes soft and giving off an almost vulnerable feel. "…okay….."

Sparky paused, hoping he could be delicate with this. "Were you….um…..hurt in your house? I mean, were you abused at all?"

"Oh no." Skylar shook her head feverishly. "No. I just…don't like it there….."

"Why not?" Sparky asked.

"Nobody likes me." Skylar shrugged.

That confused Sparky. How could Skylar claim she wasn't abused and still say nobody liked her? Unless she was completely neglected. "Come on. There's gotta be _someone_ at that house who cares about you."

Skylar thought for a moment and, even though she tried to ignore it, she couldn't deny a certain someone popped up in her mind. "Rosa. She's taken care of me for a long time."

"I bet she really misses you." Sparky guessed. Rosa could've been anyone: a sibling, a nanny, maybe even a pet. But it was something he could get Skylar to focus on. "She's probably worried about you."

"Yeah. Yeah, I bet she is." Skylar hugged herself, rubbing her arms. Guilt was evident in her eyes. "But….but she can't help me anymore…..and I just bother her."

"I don't think you do." Sparky said. "What if she's really scared? You've been gone all day."

"She'll forget about me." Skylar shrugged, sounding sad. "She's better off without me."

Sparky put a comforting tine on Skylar's shoulder. "You don't really believe that. I know you don't. I think you're just afraid that you're a burden to Rosa, so you ran away to make her feel like she didn't have to worry about you. But you know what? All you've done is made her worry by running away. I'd be willing to bet that she's so scared, and all she wants is for you to go back." Sparky could see Skylar beginning to tremble, her eyes glistening with tears that refused to be shed. "I know you don't consider where you live your home, but it's still a place where there is someone who loves you very much. Please…..please let me take you back."

Skylar turned her head away from Sparky, her raven hair falling over her face. "I'm never going to see you again, am I?"

"Are you kidding?" Sparky smiled, and he hurriedly pulled out a small notebook and pen from his duffel. He scribbled something on a page and tore it out, holding the page to Skylar. The girl looked back to him, confusion in her eyes. Sparky kept smiling. "This is my address in Propwash Junction. Write to me. Send me a letter everyday if you want, and I'll reply to every single one."

Skylar stared at Sparky. "Really? You promise?"

"Absolutely." Sparky agreed. "But only if you let me take you back to your house, okay?"

Skylar looked back and forth between the paper and Sparky. Slowly, she took the page and stared at it. Then, she jumped down from the bench and hugged Sparky tightly. Sparky chuckled, holding Skylar close.

"Thank you, Sparky." Skylar whispered.

* * *

The house Skylar led Sparky to looked quite spacious: three stories, a sizable front yard, and a backyard surrounded by a wooden fence that looked larger than a football field. The house was painted dark green with tan wooden shutters on the windows, and the fence was colored a rosy chestnut. Sparky and Skylar traveled up the steps to the porch and Sparky knocked on the front door. Skylar patted one of her pockets, where she kept Sparky's address. She wasn't exactly excited to get back to the house, but today was a rather amazing day for her.

She finally found her first friend.

A Hispanic woman answered the door, wearing a simple red dress and a cream-colored apron. She gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth. "Skylar!" She cried, kneeling down and hugging the little girl. She checked the girl over, almost squeezing the life out of the poor child. "Oh Skylar! I was so worried about you!" She started speaking rapidly in Spanish, and Skylar cracked a smile.

"I'm okay, Rosa." Skylar said. "Sorry I ran away."

Rosa sighed heavily in relief. "Well I certainly don't want you to do it again, but I'm just glad you're finally home safe." She looked up and seemed to just notice Sparky. "And who is this?"

"My friend! His name is Sparky!" Skylar said happily. "He took care of me and made sure I got back okay. And I'm gonna start writing to him from now on!"

"Really?" Rosa looked quite surprised, staring at Sparky in curiosity.

"That's okay, right?" Skylar asked.

"Of course!" Rosa nodded. "But you can do that tomorrow. Go on inside and have your dinner."

"Okay." Skylar nodded. She hugged Sparky again. "Bye Sparkplug!" She hurried into the house, and Sparky noticed several children already inside. There seemed to be about a dozen or so, human and vehicle alike, and most of them greeted Skylar warmly as she went to the kitchen for her dinner.

Sparky looked to Rosa, expecting her to get suspicious of this stranger who brought Skylar back. But Rosa only smiled in a friendly manner. "Please excuse the slight strangeness of the situation." Sparky chuckled.

"Are you kidding?" Rosa laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen Skylar so excited about something. While I was initially worried, I can honestly say I'm glad she was found by a friendly person like you. I am happy you and her became friends. She needs a friend in her life."

Sparky smiled, thankful he didn't have to approach Rosa in an awkward manner to explain. He glanced into the house as three children—a forklift, a pickup truck, and a human—darted past the door, laughing all the way. "Lot of kids you got there."

"Oh yes." Rosa laughed. "All of them rather sweet kids. Most of them are under ten, and I think my youngest is a little less than two."

"Wow." Sparky breathed. "They're all yours?"

" _Si."_ Rosa nodded.

"Are most of them adopted, I'm assuming?" Sparky asked.

Rosa blinked. "Oh, no! I'm sorry. I was not clear. These are all my foster children."

Sparky jolted from the shock. "F-foster…children? Y-you mean these kids…Skylar is…..huh?"

"Skylar is an orphan. She has been with me for a couple years." Rosa explained. The realization dawned on her. "She never told you."

Sparky looked back into the house. An orphan. Skylar is an orphan. In hindsight, Sparky figured he should've seen this coming. But he managed to shake off his shock, thank Rosa, and make his way into town to call Mayday. He paused some ways down the sidewalk and turned towards the house. A window opened on the side of the building, and Skylar leaned out to wave.

"Bye Sparkplug!" Skylar called.

Sparky smiled broadly and waved back. "Bye Soarin' Sky!"

* * *

It was dark by the time Mayday and Sparky made it back to Propwash Junction. Max, Dusty, and Chug waited at the Fill N' Fly, worry in their facial expressions. When Mayday pulled up, the boys hurriedly gathered around.

"Hey Sparky!" Chug called, still concerned.

"Where were you?" Dusty asked.

"The boys insisted on waiting for you two." Max explained. "I was starting to think I would have to go out myself and find you. Skipper's really worried about you, Sparky."

"I better get home to him, then." Sparky said. "Thanks again, Mayday!"

"Anytime, Sparky!" Mayday assured.

"Hey Sparky!" Dusty called, the 11-year-old looking rather confused. "Why were you gone for so long?"

Sparky paused, turning and smiling at the group behind him. "I met a new friend."


	12. Learning to Fly

**Learning to Fly**

Shooting past and through the clouds, dancing across the rays of the sun, the wind brushing against his hide. All these wonderful sensations made flying at such high speeds worthwhile. He loved it all, and absolutely nothing could bring him down.

"Dusty Crophopper! Would you pay attention, boy?"

Except maybe his boss.

Dusty rolled his eyes. "I _am_ paying attention! At least I know when to turn around and go the other way. I can't speed things along a bit?"

"If ya don't do it right, the crops won't get enough mulch to grow." Leadbottom huffed. He felt like that was the thousandth time he told this to the fifteen-year-old. But the young crop duster never seemed to listen. When did he ever? Leadbottom sighed. _He's a teenager. Ya can't blame him too much._ "Tell ya what, Crophopper. You do the rest of this field right, the way you were taught, and I'll let you go early."

Dusty's eyes lit up. "Really? Aw man, thanks!" He abruptly slowed, making sure he went the proper speed. Leadbottom smirked, banking off to return to his hanger. He knew he probably just made Dusty's day; it was Friday, so all he had to do now was finish his work for the week and then he'd be free to do whatever he wanted this weekend.

The second Dusty finished, he hurried off home for a quick hose down to get the mulch smell off. Then he radioed his friend Chug, who lived just next door and worked over at Pancho's Fill N' Fly with Dottie and her family.

"This is Dusty Crophopper to Chug! Come in, Chug!" Dusty called happily.

" _Hey Duster!"_ the sixteen-year-old fuel truck greeted. _"You got off early?"_

"Leadbottom had mercy on me today!" Dusty cheered. "So don't worry about the movie snacks for tonight. I'm going to run over to the store now and get the stuff!"

" _Awesome!"_ Chug whooped. _"You rock! Can we meet up at eight tonight? My mom's ordering a pizza and I still got a couple more hours here at the Fill N' Fly."_

"Sounds great! I'll see ya tonight, buddy!"

" _See ya tonight!"_

Dusty laughed as he hung up, hurrying towards the door of his hanger. The small but spacious area didn't hold much, but Dusty managed to make it homey with his Wings Around the Globe comforter and his racing posters, flags, and action figures strewn about the walls and shelves. Dusty hummed happily to himself as he journeyed to the supermarket, looking forward to his sleepover with Chug. The two of them were like brothers, so anytime they could hang out they did. Dusty continued his humming as he perused the snacks, chips, and candy on the store shelves, wondering just how much he and Chug could finish in one night.

As he scanned the rows of chips, Dusty did a near-perfect double-take when he saw a small human girl at the top shelf, standing on one of the shelves below it and reaching for something. All Dusty could really make out was her light blue jeans, red-and-white sneakers, and green-and-white striped shirt with green sleeves that went to her elbows. The rest of the girl, especially her head, hid behind the rest of the chip bags.

"I see you, bag of potato chips." The girl muttered in determination. "And I will have you, doggone it all!" She pushed up with one foot, her other one dangling behind her.

Dusty chuckled softly. "Here. Let me help you." He reached a wing under her dangling foot, pushing her up the rest of the way. He heard the crinkling of bag plastic, and the satisfied cheer of the girl as she stepped back to his wing. Dusty gently lowered the girl to the ground, watching her swish her braided black hair over her shoulder to rest behind her. She smiled warmly at Dusty, her blue-green eyes bright.

"Thanks." The girl said. "Uh…..Dusty, right?"

"Yep!" Dusty nodded.

"You'd think after living here for over a year, I would know my neighbors." The girl laughed.

"No biggie. You're still getting to know everyone." Dusty assured. "I'm still trying to decide if I call you 'Skylar' or 'Sky.'"

"'Sky' is fine." The girl said. "'Skylar' always did sound too formal."

"Whatever you say." Dusty nodded. "After a bag of chips, I see?"

Sky cradled the large bag of potato chips closer to her. She noticed a basket almost overflowing with junk food resting on Dusty's wing. "And I see you're trying to raid every snack aisle in the store." She giggled.

Dusty chuckled. "Just preparing for a movie night with Chug."

"Well you look much prepped." Sky noted. "I'm having a movie night myself."

"Cool! Have fun!" Dusty said, turning to head towards the checkout counter.

"You too!" Sky waved after him.

* * *

It took much debating and discussing between Dusty and Chug before the teenagers finally decided on the movies to watch: the entire _Star Wars_ saga. Chug's parents went out to visit some friends, and they trusted the boys wouldn't completely trash the living room during their sleepover. Chug had a little sister, but she was off at her own friend's house for a sleepover. So the boys gathered up the couch cushions, several pillows, and every blanket they could find to make a sort of nest on the living room floor with their snacks strewn about the area.

"Great snacks, Duster!" Chug said as he set up the movie to play. "No potato chips?"

"Sky got the last bag. And she was awfully determined to get it." Dusty shrugged.

"You saw Sky today?" Chug asked excitedly. The newest Propwash Junction resident couldn't always be seen in town. The adoptive daughter of Skipper Riley and Sparky usually liked to spend time at home, in the firehouse with Mayday and Max, or she tended to wander in the wilderness behind the town.

"She sure is a nice kid." Dusty noted.

"Yeah, but she seems kinda…..loner-ish." Chug said. "You ever see her hanging out with anyone?"

"What? Do I look like her stalker?" Dusty joked.

"But I never see her with any of the other girls in town." Chug said, reversing into his spot next to his friend and grabbing the remote. "It's like all she does all day is stand on the edge of the runway cliff."

"She stands out on the edge of the runway cliff?" Dusty repeated, quite confused.

"You don't notice it?" Chug shrugged his tires a bit. "She just stands out there with her arms spread out and lets the wind hit her. I once asked her what she was doing, and she told me she was 'pretending to fly.'"

"Huh. Weird." Dusty admitted. "But she's gotta have more of a social life than that, right?"

"Dunno." Chug said. "Sparky told me she used to be kinda mean when she was younger."

"Younger how?" Dusty laughed. "She's twelve now."

"I mean before she moved here." Chug explained. "Sparky and I talked about her once, and he told me she used to be a pretty bitter kid."

"But now she has a nice home and she's a nicer kid." Dusty pointed out. "I just can't think of a reason why she _wouldn't_ have friends here. I wouldn't be surprised if she hung out with Dottie."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right." Chug said. "But enough talk about girls! We got movies to watch!" He hurriedly turned on the movie, and the boys settled down to enjoy their night.

* * *

The weekends tended to be Dusty's days off, and he savored every minute of them. Most Saturdays he spent zipping around the fields practicing aerial maneuvers he saw on TV. Since he spent last weekend hanging out with Chug, he had some catching up to do. Up-and-coming racers could only have so many days off, after all.

Dusty paused on the way to the Fill N' Fly when he saw a figure standing out by the cliff, just to the left of the runway. Staring intently, he saw the figure to be a girl with raven hair that flowed just past her shoulders. _Sky._ Dusty realized. Testing a theory, he rolled over and called out to Sky to let her know he came up. Sky turned and smiled broadly, looking rather excited to see Dusty. A pair of binoculars hung around her neck, resting on her chest.

"Hey Dusty." Sky greeted. "Whatcha up to?"

"Going flying for a while." Dusty said. He noticed Sky's eyes brightened up considerably. "What about you?"

"Just pretending to do the same." Sky shrugged.

"Oh. Cool." Dusty nodded. "I'll….let you get back to that then. See ya!"

Sky giggled. "Bye!"

Dusty turned and rolled off, but he could've sworn he saw Sky's expression turn to one of almost sadness, like she was disappointed to see him leave. But he shook it off. It's not like Sky wanted to be his friend. And, frankly, he was a little too scared of her adoptive father to try and get friendly with her. Skipper Riley, whom everyone knew as a loner with a somewhat cold-hearted demeanor, tended to give off a "go away or I'll shoot you with my still-working guns" vibe. So Dusty continued on, looking forward to his flight.

Propwash Junction tended to see a lot of travelers, but seeing a Boeing F/A-18 E Super Hornet passing through for refueling was quite a surprise. Chug certainly thought so as he loaded up his fuel container in his flatbed and began filling up the fighter jet. The jet was rather young, probably in his twenties or thirties, and he talked pleasantly with Chug while he was refueled.

"There you go, Captain!" Chug said as he finished. "Topped off with the finest jet fuel in Propwash Junction!"

"Roger that!" the Captain nodded in thanks as he departed for the runway.

"Take care!" Chug called after him.

Dusty rolled up beside his friend to get topped off himself, and he stared in awe after the Navy jet. "Whoa! Don't see that every day, huh Chug?"

"Yep, Dusty." Chug nodded, beginning to fill Dusty's tank. "An engine that powerful only takes the top-of-the-line jet fuel. It keeps those afterburners blazin'!"

"Awesome!" Dusty breathed. _I'll be able to fly that fast one day._

Chug heard the _click_ that indicated Dusty's tank was full. "Well, there ya go, Dusty!"

"Thanks, Chug!" Dusty said as he made his way to the runway.

"No problem!" Chug glanced to his fuel nozzle. _I know Dottie says I shouldn't do this, but….._ He did it anyway. He took a sip of the fuel he recently put into Dusty's tank. At the taste, Chug's eyes widened, and he realized he never switched out the fuel tanks to put the proper gas in Dusty's tank. He gasped. "It's the wrong fuel. Dusty!"

Too late.

Dusty shouted in surprise as flames shot from his exhaust pipes, and he suddenly rocketed down the runway at jet plane speed. Sky jumped, spinning around and staring after Dusty with her jaw dropped. She and Chug met halfway as they raced to the runway, staring after Dusty.

"What just happened?" Sky asked.

"I put jet fuel in his tank." Chug gulped.

Dusty yelped in pain as he tore through a section of the corn field, the stalks slapping against his hide and getting sliced in half by his propellers. He broke through the corn and noticed an elderly car slowly crossing at an intersection.

"Look out!" Dusty squeaked, desperately pulling up and shooting into the sky. He whooped a bit, rolling to fly upright again. But he yelped "On your right!" as he shot dangerously close to the fighter jet from before.

"Whoa!" the captain laughed, amazed.

Dusty shouted in surprise and fear, twin clouds of smoke following him everywhere he flew. "My fault!" He sped past the air traffic control tower, shaking it so much the attendant inside had to put a tine over his coffee mug so it wouldn't spill. Once Dusty passed, he casually began sipping the drink again. Dusty desperately tried to regain control over himself, but he couldn't stop his engine or thrust now that the jet fuel coursed through his system. He flew right over a neighbor napping in his driveway, causing his car alarm to go off.

"Sorry Thornhill!" Dusty called. "Whoa!" He ended up looping around the mountain behind town, wracking his brain for a way to safely land. Unfortunately, that's when he ran out of fuel from burning it off so quickly, and his propeller jerked to a halt. "Uh oh. No. No, no!" Dusty yelped, gliding much too quickly towards the runway. Sky and Chug jumped aside as Dusty screeched past them, the force of his braking tires on the tarmac sending the smell of burning rubber into the air. But he desperately dug his landing gear into the asphalt, knowing if he passed the edge of the runway he would fall over the cliff edge and straight to the rocks below. Luckily, Dusty came to a halt right at the edge of the runway, knocking loose pebbles that fell towards the sharp rocks at the bottom of the cliff. He panted heavily, relieved he didn't crash.

"Dusty!" Chug shouted. He, Sky, Mayday, Max, and a couple other Propwash residents hurried over to the crop duster, hoping he would be all right. Mayday had his hose ready on the off-chance any part of Dusty caught fire.

"Nice going, Chug!" Sky scolded. "He was going so fast his brain must be in his tail by now!"

Everyone gathered around Dusty without crowding him. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Chug said quickly, a little fearful when Dusty wouldn't turn around to face them. "Are you okay? Say something!"

Dusty panted a bit more. "That…..was…" Dusty spun around with an ecstatic smile plastered onto his lips. " _AWESOME!"_

"Are you sick in the canopy?" Sky demanded, hurrying to Dusty and looking him over. "You could've gotten hurt!"

"But did you see me?" Dusty laughed. "I was going so fast!"

"You were this close to being a smudge on a mountainside!" Sky corrected, pinching her thumb and forefinger together. "You could've blown an engine, or worse! Now you get your tail right over to Dottie so she can check you out!"

"Since when are you my mother?" Dusty scoffed. He cowered a bit under Sky's furious glare.

"Dottie. _Now._ " Sky ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" Dusty said, quickly rolling off with Chug right beside him. Everyone else dispersed, thankful Dusty wasn't hurt. Dusty and Chug cast a look back towards Sky, who returned to her previous spot on the runway cliff. She cast a glance towards them, but averted her gaze in embarrassment.

"I don't think I've _ever_ heard Sky talk like that." Chug said. "She sounded really scared for you."

Dusty thought for a moment. "You're right. Past the whole yelling at me thing, I guess she _was_ kinda worried."

"Never thought she'd act like that towards one of us." Chug mused.

Dusty paused before they entered the Fill N' Fly, glancing to Sky. _I think it's time we had a talk with Sparky._

* * *

"Glad to hear you're okay, Dust." Sparky said. "Most jet planes need to start taking that stuff slowly so they don't burn out their engine. It usually takes a little while for them to get used to it to the point where they can use it regularly."

"I think I'll still with my usual." Dusty admitted. He, Sparky, and Chug sat at a table in a café, chatting about the events from yesterday. Dusty started out with just a talk about what happened with the fuel, but there was a more important reason for calling Sparky to talk to him. He explained to Sparky about Sky's rather unusual reaction to his experience. To his and Chug's surprise, Sparky actually became excited.

"Really? That's how she reacted?" Sparky asked. "That's great!"

"Why?" Chug asked.

"It means she likes you!" Sparky said.

Chug and Dusty blinked simultaneously. "Huh?"

"She likes you guys! She wants to be friends with you!" Sparky said. "That's so great! I was hoping she'd find someone she liked."

"What are you talking about?" Dusty asked.

Sparky's face fell a bit, and he looked around. Though the coast seemed clear, he lowered his voice. "It's just that I worry about her sometimes. Sky doesn't have any friends to hang out with, and I would love it if she had some playmates when Skipper and I are busy."

"What do you mean she doesn't have any friends?" Dusty asked, confused.

"She doesn't have anyone in town she likes enough to hang out with." Sparky shrugged. "Except maybe Mayday and Max."

"But she's got friends back in Sterling, right?" Chug asked. "Maybe from the orphanage?"

"Not at all." Sparky said sadly. "Sky was pretty bitter when she was an orphan. She got angry at everything and everyone for the smallest reasons. The kids at school treated her like a freak, oftentimes because of how she looked. For the longest time, I was her only friend. I think I still am."

Chug and Dusty became shocked into silence. Dusty thought back to when he ran into Sky at the store the other day. He had assumed she was having a movie night with friends, but it's possible she really just did it alone.

"That's why I'm glad she seems to like you guys." Sparky said. "So, I need to ask a huge favor of you two."

"What is it?" Chug asked.

"Reach out to her. Be her friend." Sparky requested. "Let her know that, you know, she's not alone."

Dusty and Chug exchanged looks and smiled. "Anything you say, Sparky." Dusty nodded. He wasn't sure how he would avoid Skipper if he could, but for Sparky's and Sky's sakes, he could try.

Then came the next problem, as Chug and Dusty went over to the latter's hanger to discuss it: how to make friends with a girl.

"What do girls even like?" Dusty asked. "Dolls? Makeup?"

"Sky's not really much of a makeup person." Chug said thoughtfully. "But she loves toys like action figures. I always see her birdwatching with those binoculars she has. Come on, she's twelve. We just gotta think about what twelve-year-old girls like."

"Okay, let's see. Um…" Dusty bit his tongue a little in thought. "Boy bands?"

"Nah. She's a country music fan. You can tell by listening to what she sings under her breath now and then." Chug corrected.

"Well would she like any of the things we like?" Dusty asked.

"Like what?"

"Racing?"

"Nah."

"Playing in the mud?"

"Probably not."

"Movies?"

Chug thought for a moment. "Well, lots of people like movies. What kind would she watch?"

"You have a sister, don't you?" Dusty said. "What kinds of movies does she like?"

Chug made a face. "It's a bunch of girly stuff like magical ponies and frilly-dressed princesses. I can't even be in the same room as her when she watches that stuff!"

"I'll bet that's the kind of stuff Sky likes." Dusty mused.

"But my sister's eight." Chug protested.

"There's not that much of an age gap." Dusty reasoned. "I'd be willing to bet those kinds of movies are the kind Sky likes to watch. Why don't we invite her over to watch a couple?"

"You want us to watch girly princess pony movies?" Chug asked with a deadpan expression.

"It's for Sparky." Dusty reminded him.

Chug sighed. He'd do anything for his friend Sparky. Besides, he really did want to get to know Sky more now that she lived in their town. "Oh all right."

* * *

Needless to say, Sky was rather surprised when Dusty and Chug invited her over to watch a movie one afternoon. But she also felt excited, and she happily agreed after making a deal with Skipper that she would return home after eating dinner with Chug, Dusty, and Chug's family.

Sky skipped happily over to Chug's house, knocking on the door and greeting Chug's mother cheerily and politely. The female truck directed Sky to the living room, where Dusty and Chug waited patiently with a bowl of popcorn.

"So what are we going to watch?" Sky asked excitedly.

"You pick. We got all these." Chug said, gesturing to the several movie cases on the coffee table. Sky started looking through them, mildly surprised when she saw the titles of the movies. They all seemed rather…girly for something Chug and Dusty might be interested in. But she knew everyone was entitled to their own tastes, and some of these movies looked quite cool. Finally, she chose one that seemed perfect.

" _My Little Pony: The Great Psych-Man Quest."_ Dusty read the title. "Huh. Not a bad choice. Especially for someone who _is_ a psych-man."

"Yeah." Chug nodded. "Sounds cool." That was a lie from both of them. This was going to be a long two hours, but they knew they had to stay strong and do this for Sparky.

"It certainly looks interesting." Sky said as Chug put the movie in the player. "I always like to see how psyche humans are portrayed in movies. Nice comparison to the real thing." Chug and Dusty nodded in agreement, the former setting the movie to play.

As the previews rolled, the boys began to wonder what they got themselves into. Sure, they'd do anything for Sparky and they liked Sky. But she was a girl. They were boys. At this age, it was a commonality for the two genders to…well, just not see eye-to-eye. In hindsight, maybe watching movies together wasn't the greatest idea for a first playdate. They didn't talk for the entirety of the movie except for a couple bits of commentary. The only upside seemed to be that the boys could actually stand to watch this movie. Luckily for them, Sky chose a pony movie that was bearable to watch for non-fans (or parents).

"Cool movie." Sky said as the credits came.

"Yeah." Chug nodded aimlessly.

"Very…..adventurous." Dusty agreed.

Sky cast looks to them. "Did you not enjoy it?"

"Oh, no! We enjoyed it!" Dusty said hurriedly. "Right Chug?"

"Yeah!" Chug nodded much too enthusiastically. Sky raised an eyebrow at them. Chug cleared his throat. "Hey Mom! Dinner ready yet?"

"Haven't even started!" Chug's mother called from the kitchen. "It's only four. It'll be about an hour, so why don't you kids watch another movie until then?"

"Okay." Chug and Dusty called. They weren't exactly looking forward to another pony movie.

"Go ahead, Sky. You're the guest." Dusty encouraged.

"Yeah, you gotta pick the movie." Chug said.

Sky glanced to the movies still stacked on the coffee table when she noticed a small set of shelves next to the TV. "Hey, are those movies?" She crawled over to the shelves without waiting for a response.

"Well, yeah." Chug said. "But I don't know if you'd—"

"No way!" Sky gasped. "You have _Mary Poppins_? And _Back to the Future_?"

"You…like those movies?" Dusty asked. _Mary Poppins_ he could understand, but _Back to the Future_?

"I have a lot of these at home!" Sky said happily, looking through the rows of movies. She gasped again as she pulled one of the cases down. "Holy Manufacturer! You have _Jurassic Park_?!"

"You've seen it?" Chug asked, surprised.

"Not yet, but boy did I want to!" Sky sighed. "Rosa wouldn't let me. She said it was much too scary for a little kid to watch. Have you guys seen it?"

"Long time ago." Dusty admitted. "You wanna watch it?"

"Yeah!" Sky cheered, hurriedly handing the movie to Chug so he could put it in.

 _Approximately two hours later….._

Chug's mother answered the knock on her front door and smiled warmly. "Well, hello Sparky! How nice to see you!"

"Hey! Is Sky still here?" Sparky asked.

"Oh yes. She and the boys are finishing their second movie in the living room." Chug's mother said, moving aside so Sparky could roll into the house. "I couldn't tear them away, so I just gave them dinner right in front of the TV."

Sparky chuckled, but inside he leaped for joy. _Great! They're bonding!_ "Hey Sky! We gotta go home, kiddo!"

"Not yet!" Sky's frantic call came from the living room just down the hall. "Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, Lex, and Tim are about to get eaten by velociraptors who know how to open freaking doors!"

Sparky and Chug's mother exchanged puzzled looks, and they quietly rolled into the living room. They struggled to stifle their giggles when they saw Chug, Dusty, and Sky keeping their stares fixed onto the TV screen, watching the final scenes of _Jurassic Park._ Chug cowered a bit when the dinosaurs seemed to be winning, but joined Sky and Dusty in cheering when the T. Rex came in and saved everyone. When the credits began, Sparky spoke up again.

"Come on, Sky. Time to get home." Sparky said.

Sky whined a little. "Okay." She stood and brushed off her jeans, giving Dusty and Chug hugs. "Thanks for inviting me over, guys! This was fun!"

"Yeah!" Chug nodded happily. "You wanna hang out with us tomorrow?"

"You can come help me train!" Dusty said excitedly.

"Sounds fun!" Sky nodded. "Can I, Sparky? Can I?"

Sparky laughed. "Sure, Sky. But let's get home and get ready for bed."

"Okay. Bye Chug! Bye Dusty!" Sky walked beside Sparky as they departed the house. Sparky looked back to the boys and mouthed "Thank you." The boys nodded with smiles. Hanging out with Sky turned out better than they thought.

"Between movies tonight and hanging out tomorrow, Sky will be our friend in no time!" Chug said as he escorted Dusty home.

"This could be fun!" Dusty agreed.

* * *

The next day, Sky met with Dusty and Chug after breakfast and the three of them hurried off. Dusty took to the skies while Chug carried Sky to his lookout hill to watch Dusty fly over the fields around Propwash Junction.

"So what's he doing?" Sky asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of Chug.

"Dusty's training to be a racer!" Chug explained excitedly. "So I'm going to spot him while he practices. You know, in case he needs help."

"Cool!" Sky breathed. She kept her eyes locked on the orange-and-white plane, watching him zip about the air and zoom past the fields. He did loops and flips, practicing turns and keeping his torque in the red to push his speed. But the more Sky watched him, the closer she tried to scoot towards him until Chug had to pull her away from the edge of the cliff for safety's sake. Sky stared at Dusty longingly. She liked her nickname Sky for more than just avoiding the formality of being called "Skylar." Her greatest wish, her most often dreamt dream, was to fly herself. It's all she ever wanted. Watching Dusty soar through the air and glide over the land only made her desire grow stronger, and she longed for the day she could sprout wings or something.

Chug blinked in surprise when Sky stood and began walking back towards town. "Where ya goin'?"

"Back to town. I'm getting hungry." Sky said, forcing a smile. "You and Dusty enjoy training." She turned and jogged off before Chug could respond.

Dusty happily shot back and forth across the corn fields, glancing back towards Chug and Sky. But he blinked in surprise to see Sky apparently walked off. In fact, Chug waved at him with his fuel nozzle arm, so Dusty banked around and flew over the truck.

"What's wrong with Sky?" Dusty called. Chug shrugged his fuel nozzle, looking rather confused himself. Dusty began flying around to land, growing worried. Why would Sky leave? Wasn't she having fun? Friendships don't normally develop so quickly, but he had hoped she would grow more attached to them with today's events. Why would she leave?

Dusty landed on the runway and began rolling towards Chug. But he paused when he saw Sky standing on her favorite spot on the cliff, her arms spread as she let the gentle breeze push against her. She looked so peaceful. Dusty couldn't bear to break her trance.

Then, it clicked in Dusty's head, and he grew excited as he resumed his search for Chug. The two of them met right outside the Fill N' Fly.

"What's wrong with Sky?" Chug asked. "She looked like she was having fun and then she just left."

"I think I know what's wrong, and I know how to fix it." Dusty said excitedly. "But we're going to need some help from a good mechanic."

Chug grinned. "Hey Dottie!" He called, driving into the Fill N' Fly with Dusty right beside him. Their forklift friend organized her tools in her section of the shop, but she paused and looked to the boys with a raised eye frame.

"Those smiles are never a good sign." Dottie sighed. "What do you want this time?"

"You're going to call us crazy—" Dusty started.

"No." Dottie said firmly, resuming her organizing.

"Come on, Dottie!" Chug pleaded. "You don't even know what we want!"

"I know it's probably something stupid and dangerous." Dottie said, remembering past stunts the boys pulled off with her unwilling help. "Remember the Flaming Hoop Incident?"

"This is nothing like that!" Chug insisted.

"How?" Dottie demanded.

Chug paused. "How _is_ it different, Dusty?"

"It's for a friend." Dusty said. "It's for Sky."

Dottie immediately became interested. "Skylar Riley?"

"Yeah." Dusty nodded. "I want to give her something special. Something that will show her we want to be her friend and that she can trust us to be her friends."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Dottie asked. She always wanted to get close to Sky, but she never knew how to approach the seemingly reclusive child.

Dusty's smile grew, if it were possible at that moment. "Why pretend to fly when you can have a true experience?"

* * *

Days later, Chug nervously approached the hanger of Skipper Riley, knowing what he had to do but wishing he didn't have to do it. Still, he gathered his courage and knocked briskly on the door. When it opened, he cowered again when Skipper Riley himself answered.

Chug gulped. "H-hey, Skipper. I mean, uh, Commander Riley, sir."

Skipper glared in response.

"So, uh, I was just wondering if…..uh….if Sky was available…..to, you know, hang out?" Chug asked timidly.

Skipper's glare deepened. Suddenly, Sky appeared beside him looking excited. "Can I, Dad? Please?"

Skipper cast his daughter a look, pondering the idea for a moment. He sighed a bit. "Be safe. Be home before dinner."

"Thanks Dad!" Sky jumped up on his wing and kissed his side. "Love you! Bye!" She jumped down and followed Chug back towards the Fill N' Fly. Skipper rolled his eyes a bit and backed into the hanger.

"Why did he say yes to you but he glared at me?" Chug asked.

"I don't think he likes you and Dusty." Sky shrugged, continuing her jog. Chug wasn't sure how he felt about that; but, then again, Skipper didn't really like anybody except Sparky and Sky. So he shook it off and led Sky to Dusty and Dottie waiting just outside the Fill N' Fly.

"Hey Sky!" Dusty greeted, careful to fully face the girl. "Glad you could make it."

"Sure." Sky nodded. "What's this all about?"

"Well, we wanted to give you a special gift." Chug said. "Because we know you've always wanted to fly."

Sky rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, kinda….."

"Ta-da!" Dusty turned so Sky could see the side of him, and she blinked in surprise. Thanks to Dottie's handiwork, Dusty now had a sort of chair backrest sticking out of his back, in front of his antenna, and a handlebar attached to his canopy.

"Uh…." Sky blinked a few times in confusion. "Huh?"

"Here, put this on." Dottie instructed, handing the girl a strange object made of straps tied together. "It's like a rock climbing harness. We'll hook it onto the handlebar and then you won't fall off."

"Oh." Sky nodded, pulling on the harness and buckling it snugly over her body. She blinked. "Wait, what?"

Suddenly, Chug lifted Sky up and placed her right on Dusty's back, forcing her to lean into the backrest. She suddenly realized what was happening as Dottie hooked two straps of the harness to the handlebar, keeping Sky secure.

"Ready, Sky?" Dusty asked as he began rolling towards the runway.

Sky instantly grabbed the handlebar, suddenly nervous. "Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry. It'll be fun." Dusty assured. "Just hang on tight!"

"No problem." Sky swallowed.

Dusty smiled reassuringly and kicked up his engine power to full throttle. His propeller began spinning, and a little smoke exited his exhaust pipes. Sky squeezed her eyes shut as Dusty started rolling down the runway, picking up speed and pulling up into the air. He tried to keep his speed down for now, waiting for Sky's reaction. After a moment of feeling the wind in her hair, Sky tentatively opened an eye to peer out at the scenery. Her eyes fully opened and she stared in awe.

Sky saw these fields dozens of times in the year she lived in Propwash Junction. But now, she could look down and see her and Dusty's shadows as they _flew_ over them. Her hair, once loose around her shoulders, now billowed behind her like a black torch flame. This was nothing like how she felt when the wind pressed against her while her feet stayed on the ground. She could feel the currents in the air as Dusty glided smoothly through them. She felt Dusty's movements as he turned, her body shifting as he went left, right, up, and down. Her grip on the handlebar loosened, and she slowly spread her arms out.

Pure euphoria.

Sky laughed a bit, and then she started whooping and cheering. Dusty laughed, picking up speed and zipping across the fields. Sky continued to laugh, grabbing the handlebar again as Dusty flew faster and faster. The two of them laughed and cheered as they flew around. Chug and Dottie watched from the cliff near the runway, smiling broadly at the sound of the laughter.

Dusty slowed down after several minutes, still smiling broadly. "What do you think? Pretty fun?"

Sky sighed blissfully. "Oh Dusty. This is so amazing!" She hugged his canopy. "Thank you."

Dusty's smile grew. _I did it! Yes!_ "Hey, how about a tour of the river and a quick loop around the forest?"

"Yeah!" Sky nodded. "Let's go!"

Dusty gave Chug a call over the radio to let him know where they were going, and he turned and flew off towards the river. Sky was still in amazement, finally understanding what a bird's-eye view truly looked like. This was even better than sprouting wings. She was flying for the first time in her life.

 _Thank you, Dusty._ Sky thought. _Thank you so much._

Just as they finished their loop around the forest near town, Dusty got a call on his radio. He begrudgingly answered, not exactly happy that someone interrupted his lovely flight with Sky.

" _Mayday! Mayday! Chug to Dusty!"_

"Whoa, whoa!" Dusty whispered so Sky couldn't hear him over the wind. "What's the matter?"

" _It's the Skipper!"_ Chug said hurriedly, sounding panicked. _"He's looking for Sky! He looked mad too!"_

 _Uh oh._ Dusty thought. A mad Skipper was even worse than a normal Skipper. "Okay, we're on our way." He turned off his radio and looked back towards Sky. "Hey Sky. We gotta land. I'm, uh, running low on fuel."

"Oh. Okay." Sky said, sounding mildly disappointed. But she didn't complain as Dusty headed back towards the runway and landed smoothly, taxiing over to the Fill N' Fly. Sky began to unhook herself from the handlebar. "Well, I better get home."

"Yeah." Dusty nodded. "I hope you had fun."

"This was so much fun!" Sky nearly squealed, jumping to Dusty's wing and hugging him. "Thank you, Dusty."

"No problem." Dusty assured, happy Sky seemed to grow closer to him. "Just, uh, don't tell your dad, okay?"

"Why not?" Sky asked.

"Well, I just don't know how he'll react." Dusty said. "No offense, but your dad can be kind of a—" Dusty paused when a shadow passed over him, and he looked up and immediately shut his trap.

Skipper Riley glared down at the young crop duster.

"Dad! Sparky!" Sky laughed, jumping down from Dusty's wing and hopping up onto Skipper's. Sparky stood behind the Corsair, pushing him along. "Dad! Sparky! I flew!" Sky said excitedly.

"I saw." Skipper assured, still giving Dusty the mother of all death glares. Dusty suddenly felt as small as a bug, and he began praying for a quick death. But Skipper continued to speak to his daughter. "Come along, Skylar. We're going home now."

"Okay!" Sky nodded, so excited from the ride she didn't even notice Skipper's glare. "Bye Dusty!"

Dusty couldn't even say "bye" back, cowering under Skipper's glare as Sparky turned the Corsair around and pushed him and Sky home. Dusty remained frozen in place for a long moment.

Chug and Dottie hurried up to him. "Dusty!" Chug yelped. "Are you okay? What did Skipper do to you?"

Dusty swallowed. "Nothing. He just glared at me."

"Oh man." Chug groaned.

"Okay, so maybe we should've asked him before taking Sky out flying." Dottie admitted. "But at least all he did was glare."

"But this might've just ruined our chances at being Sky's friend." Dusty sighed. Chug and Dottie went silent, realizing Dusty was right. After witnessing their little stunt, no way would Commander Skipper Riley allow his daughter to go anywhere near them again.

So much for being Sky's friend.

* * *

Dusty and Chug hardly saw Sky for the next week or so. Most of the time, they caught glimpses of her in the firehouse with Mayday and Max. But they tried to avoid her, afraid of what Skipper would do to them after their little stunt. It was disappointing for both of them. What started as a favor for Sparky turned into a genuine bond beginning to form between them and Sky. They wanted to talk to her again and strengthen their bond, but that just didn't seem possible anymore.

Dusty didn't even notice that he still had the backrest and handlebar until Chug pointed it out one day. So the two of them journeyed to Dottie's shop to get them removed. But just as they rounded the corner towards the Fill N' Fly, they ran into none other than Sky.

"Oh, hey guys!" Sky greeted warmly. "I was just looking for you!"

"You were?" Chug asked nervously. "Why?"

"I wanted to talk to you about the flying thing." Sky said.

"Don't worry about it." Dusty said. "I'm going to get the backrest and handlebar removed now."

Sky's face fell. "What? But I wanna go flying with you again."

"But your dad will never let you." Dusty protested.

"He will." Sky assured. "He was plenty mad at you two and really worried about me, but I managed to calm him down. We made a deal."

"A deal?" Dusty and Chug repeated.

Sky nodded. "As long as you promise to keep me safe, as long as I never get hurt, Dad says I can keep flying with you."

"Really?" Dusty asked, beginning to smile.

"As long as you promise I won't get hurt." Sky reminded him.

Dusty nodded. "Of course! Sky, I'll never let _anything_ happen to you. That's what friends are for."

Sky's eyes brightened to shine like little blue-green diamonds. She smiled warmly. "Thanks, Dusty. You too, Chug. You're both great friends."

Dusty smiled back, and he came forward to nuzzle Sky lovingly. Sky hugged him, and Chug joined in the warm hug. "I'm glad we're friends, Sky." Chug said.

"Me too." Dusty said. He smirked. "So, if you're allowed to fly with me again, are you up for another round?"

Sky grinned. "You better believe I am!"

* * *

 **A/N: Some of you might remember that the scene with Dusty and the jet fuel is his character promo from before the first** _ **Planes**_ **film's release. I altered it just a little bit so I could have a younger Dusty and Chug in the scene. There's not much of a difference, but in the short** _ **Air Mater,**_ **the Fill N' Fly went by a different name and I wanted to line up the events a little differently.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this one! It was awfully fun to write!**


	13. Mater and the Ghost Light

**Mater and the Ghost Light**

Another peaceful night began to fall on Radiator Springs. Tourism was rather slow, considering Lightning had only just returned home from racing season. He even adopted his old Radiator Springs paintjob as he spent time with the townsfolk, especially Sally.

Of course, this being such a peaceful night, it became the night that Mater spent scaring everyone.

As Red dutifully watered his flowers around Stanley's statue, he couldn't stop smiling contently. But his expression morphed to one of confusion when one of the flowerpots began to move before he could water it. He jumped when it continued to move, apparently on its own. He never noticed a certain tow hook and cable attached to the tire-shaped flowerpot, nor did he see Mater pulling the pot towards him and quietly laughing and Red's scared/confused look.

Next up was Luigi and Guido. Guido recently finished a Roman Coliseum of Tires, to which Luigi gave his approval. But Mater burst through the stacks of towers with a terrifying look on his face, prompting the two Italian vehicles to faint on the spot.

Sally finished up some paperwork in the Cozy Cone office when she became aware of a traffic cone that couldn't stay still. She stared at the cone curiously, wondering if the wind had picked up, when Mater popped up in front of the window with the cone on his head and two traffic cones over his buck teeth like vampire fangs. Sally gasped, reversing a bit. But she calmed down when she realized it was only Mater, who began laughing crazily.

Even Mater's favorite sister wasn't immune to his jabs. While she was mopping the floor of the racing museum, Mater would quietly roll up when she wasn't looking and make a dirty scuff mark on the spot she just cleaned. After watching the teenager grow quite frustrated over this for a while, Mater suddenly shut off the lights and used his tow hook to suspend a lit candle next to Harley's head. Harley screamed and skated from the room, but when she realized it was Mater she began chasing him around the museum shouting death threats until he could drive off to safety.

Mater tried to scare Lizzie, sneaking up on the older car while she slept on her front porch. But even when he made his wildest faces and scariest noises, Lizzie didn't wake up at all. She just kept on snoring, thoroughly confusing poor Mater.

Fillmore was a little easier. As he pulled canisters of his organic fuel back into his home for storage, Mater would sneak around with another container and replace the one taken. Fillmore counted and recounted, but couldn't explain how he took one away from three and still got three. Then, he came back out again and found most of his lawn covered in the canisters. Finally deciding he might be losing his mind, Fillmore just backed into his home and gather his thoughts. Mater couldn't stop chuckling to himself.

Later that night, everyone gathered at Flo's to relax. Everyone chatted and sipped on their drinks, enjoying the quiet of the evening. Sheriff had yet to arrive, still making his way over from his post.

Lightning sighed as he and Sally stared up at the stars. "Gosh. Sure is a nice night."

Sally heard a can fall over and she looked to see what appeared to be Mater's tow hook sticking out from behind a wall of cans. She chuckled. "It sure is a nice night." She nudged Lightning and gestured to the wall.

Lightning chuckled, knowing Mater had scared most everyone in town by now. He began driving towards the wall of cans, hoping to catch Mater in the act. "I sure hope Mater isn't waiting around anywhere to scare me, 'cause I'll freak out."

Suddenly, Mater jumped down from the roof of the café, landing right behind Lightning while giving a shout. The combination of the two loud noises spooked Lightning so badly he jumped and spun around, knocking into the wall of cans that was supposed to be hiding Mater. But it turned out to be a ruse; the sign for Mater's towing business, of course shaped just like him tow hook and all, rested behind the cans. Lightning panted heavily, feeling like his engine nearly stopped, while everyone else just laughed in amusement.

"If only you moved that fast on the racetrack." Doc teased.

"Oh, buddy!" Mater laughed, pulling up beside his friend. "You looked like you jus' seen the Ghooooost Liiiight!"

"Mater!" Sheriff's bark caught everyone's attention, and a couple residents had to move back so the police car could be seen. He had one of his most serious of frowns on his face. "Don't mock the Ghost Light." Sheriff growled.

"Yeah, Mater." Harley agreed, elbowing the truck.

Lightning blinked in confusion. He heard many of the residents talk about the Ghost Light, but they never really elaborated on this mysterious thing that seemed to spook most of them. "What _is_ the Ghost Light?"

The residents all stared at him, as though shocked he had asked such a question. Any music that once played over the radio screeched to a halt. Lightning suddenly got the feeling he either touched a nerve or asked a bad question. Lizzie, Red, and Fillmore (the closest ones to Sheriff save for Mack) backed away as though to hide.

Sheriff rolled closer to Lightning. "The Ghost Light is a glowing orb of blue, translucent light that haunts these very parts."

"Just don't make him tell the story." Harley groaned.

"Huh?" Lightning blinked.

"I'm just sayin'!" Harley held up her hands in a defensive gesture at Sheriff's pointed glare. "The last time you told me the story of the Ghost Light, I couldn't sleep for a week."

"In my defense, you were kinda young." Sheriff admitted.

Lightning's eyes widened a bit. But Mater smirked. "Ah, don't be too scared, buddy." He whispered. "It ain't real."

"It _is_ real!" Sheriff snapped, catching everyone's attention.

"Oh great." Harley groaned. "He's gonna tell the story." Nonetheless, she and the other residents got comfortable as Sheriff began the tale.

"It all started on a night like tonight." Sheriff began. "The song dogs were wailin' at the moon off Cadillac Range while the summer wind blew hot like the breath of Zozobra."

Harley tensed up a bit at the sound of a howl in the distance, and she sighed quietly. _This is gonna be a long night._

"A young couple was headed down this very stretch of the Mother Road when they spotted an unnatural blue glow…."

* * *

"And all that was left were two out-of-state license plates." Sheriff finished. "So remember! The one thing that angers the Ghost Light more than anything else is the sound of clanking metal."

Lightning and Harley perked up at said sound, and they glanced over to Mater. The poor tow truck looked quite spooked from Sheriff's story. No surprise, really; Sheriff had the perfect voice for scary stories, and he told them so well nobody would let him tell them while they went camping. Mater's front wheels shook so much that everything in his front half from his axles to his mirrors made clanking sounds. Mater noticed and gasped, quickly lowering his front half to the ground to stop the shaking. But more clanking sounded, and Harley glanced to Mater's tow hook to see his back half shaking like a leaf in the wind. Mater hooked his tow hook under his own bumper and pulled his flatbed down over his wheels, keeping his entire body in place to stop the clanking. But, as Harley discovered, even Mater's air filter cap clanked around until he could sniff it down again. The poor tow truck shook fearfully.

"As you head home tonight, keep an eye out." Sheriff said creepily. "The Ghost Light could be anywhere."

Mater's shaking resumed.

"Well, goodnight!" Sheriff said much too cheerily. He sped off, much too quickly.

"I'm bushed! Goodnight!" Sally called.

"Goodnight!" everyone else called as the entire town sans Mater quickly drove home. Each of them darted into their homes and shut off their lights, leaving Mater alone at the café.

"Goodnight." Mater called weakly. The lights of the café shut off, with only the streetlights showing Mater the way home.

* * *

 _I don't know how that Speed Racer got me into this._ Harley sighed quietly, crouching behind a pile of scrap metal in Mater's yard. She peered out to see said tow truck coming up to his home, singing softly in a shaky voice. It was clear he was still terrified by Sheriff's story as he shined his one headlight around. Harley moved a bit, but suddenly knocked a can loose and it clattered to the ground. Mater gasped, whipping around to shine his headlight towards the sound. But Harley managed to duck away and out of sight, and the shadowy monster Mater saw turned out to just be more junk piles.

Mater shook terribly as he backed into his garage, so much that his remaining headlight popped out and hit the ground. It shattered and went out on impact. He yelped, backing up and shutting his garage door. Of course, since he hadn't done this in years, the door immediately fell over. Mater gulped, and then gasped.

"Oh no! It's the Ghost Light!" He shouted as a yellow light began coming towards him. He immediately backed up. "Ghost Light, I respect thee! Return from where ye came!" But he paused when he realized it was only a lightning bug, which quickly became disinterested in him and buzzed off.

Meanwhile, Harley and Guido crouched down right behind Mater, hidden by stacks of old tires. Guido quietly gave Harley a boost up to Mater's tow hook, where the girl gently placed a lantern handle.

"Oh, it's jus' a lightnin' bug!" Mater chuckled, relieved. "Ghost Light ain't yeller, anyhow! Sheriff said the Ghost Light is blue."

 _Sorry about this, Mater._ Harley turned on the lantern and ducked down with Guido.

Mater froze at the explosion of blue light from behind him. _Oh…..my…_ Slowly, Mater glanced to his rearview mirror and angled it towards the source of the light: a glowing blue orb.

" _THE GHOST LIGHT!"_ Mater screamed.

He shot forward, but the Ghost Light followed him right out of his junkyard. Lightning, Guido, and Harley came out of hiding, staring after Mater. The boys smirked, and Guido held out a tine for Lightning to tap with his tire. "I feel somewhat guilty." Harley sighed, a hand on her hip.

Meanwhile, Mater continued to scream, not realizing the "Ghost Light" was only a lantern with a blue-colored lightbulb hanging on his tow hook. "The Ghost Light's right behind me!" Mater shouted. He screeched to a halt, only to flip his tow hook forward and put the light right in front of his eyes. "Now it's in front of me!" He started driving backwards, forcing the tow hook and the lantern behind him again. "It's right on my tail!"

He sped past Lightning, Guido, and Harley, now joined by Sally and Luigi as they watched Mater freak out. Sally, Lightning, and Guido wore amused smiles while Luigi raised an eye frame. Harley could feel her guilt wearing off, covering her mouth to hide her giggles.

Mater's frantic running from the "Ghost Light" took him right through Frank's field, causing the tractors to tip over and waking Frank. But the bull only went back to sleep while Mater ended up in Willie's Butte. He went all the way around the track, screaming the entire time, and even drifted around the difficult dirt turn with the "Ghost Light" right on his tail.

Soon, the rest of the Radiator Springs residents gathered to watch the show. Harley even had a bag of popcorn.

"The Ghost Light's gonna eat me!" Mater whimpered as he drove past, not noticing his family.

"Uh, let me know how it turns out." Ramone said, not really impressed.

Doc shook his hood. "Crazy truck."

"You know he's gonna be screamin' like that for a while." Harley noted, her mouth full of popcorn.

* * *

It took maybe an hour or two for Mater's energy to burn off, and he tiredly pulled himself along while still trying to get away from the "Ghost Light." He ended up right outside of town, still chugging along.

"The Ghost Light's gonna…strip my parts and…..sell 'em on a computer auction website…." Mater whimpered. He glanced back behind him, then paused. He brought his tow cable around to see not a Ghost Light on his tail, but just the lantern. All the time driving away in terror, and the light finally died down some. "Hey! Wait a minute."

At the sound of laughter, Mater set the lantern down to see the entire town of Radiator Springs. It soon became clear what happened. "Gotcha!" Lightning laughed.

"Sorry, Mater." Harley shrugged. "But you started it. We just finished it."

Mater tried to be smooth. "Shoot, I knowed this was a joke the whole time."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Harley said disbelievingly.

"You see, son, the only thing to be scared of out here is your imagination." Sheriff said.

"Yeah." Doc agreed. "That, and of course the Screamin' Banshee." A pause. "Well, goodnight!" He drove off, scooping up a confused Harley on the way.

"Goodnight!" Everyone called, driving back into town.

"You just told him that to freak him out again, didn't you?" Harley raised an eyebrow at her surrogate father.

"Maybe." Doc shrugged, feigning innocence. "You never know what's out here."

* * *

When Mater didn't come home right away, Harley decided to skate out to his junkyard to make sure he got back all right. As she neared the home of the tow truck, she noticed a blue light coming towards her.

"Hey Mater! Glad you got back all right!" Harley called.

"Thanks Sissy!"

Harley jumped and looked to her right, finding Mater parked in his shack of a garage. "Mater? But if you're there, who's carrying the lantern?"

"This?" Mater picked up the "Ghost Light" lantern, resting next to him.

Harley's eyes widened a bit, looking back and forth between Mater and the blue light coming towards her. Mater, curious, came forward to park beside her. The two of them stared as a glowing orb of blue translucent light came forward and floated before them. There was no sign of cables or wires, and it looked much too ghostly to be a light encased in glass. The ghostly blue light hovered before the tow truck and human girl for a moment before it suddenly disappeared in a flash.

Harley and Mater both had wide eyes and dropped jaws. They shared a look.

The next morning, Doc drove into Harley's room and found quite an interesting sight. Mater was parked in the middle of the room, Harley curled up on his roof. Both of them seemed to be hiding under Harley's comforter and shaking a little in fear.

Doc blinked, perplexed. "Uh…good morning…"


	14. Air Mater

**A/N: I also uploaded "Mater and the Ghost Light" in case you missed it! Worth the read!**

* * *

 **Air Mater**

Mater knew he wasn't always good at reading situations and responding correctly, but he took pride in getting it right when he did. Like right now, for instance. The minute he saw that look of deep thinking on Lightning's face as the stock car drove towards him, Mater knew he was in for it.

But what did he do this time?

"Hey buddy!" Mater greeted, waving a tire from his spot at Flo's café. "Somethin' buggin' ya?"

"I've just been thinking about something." Lightning said. "Remember when you told me that story about you learning how to fly?"

"Yep!" Mater said proudly. "Yer talkin' ta the one and only flyin' tow truck."

"Yeah, yeah." Lightning rolled his eyes, still not completely sure he believed it. "But there was something I didn't understand about it. Can you tell me the story again?"

"Well sure!" Mater said, excitedly. He cleared his throat. "You see, it all started when I was towin' this here car ta Propwash Junction, a whole town full o' aero-planes."

* * *

Mater was never afraid to give someone a tow, but a trip taken with Sheriff to visit relatives in Minnesota certainly took an interesting turn when a blue sedan trapped on the side of the highway asked for help. After assuring Sheriff (at least a dozen times) that he would be fine getting back to Radiator Springs alone, the police car finally agreed to let Mater do it on the condition that he meet Sheriff back in Sterling so they could drive back home together.

Mater passed by a sign that said "Propwash Junction Ahead," and he looked forward to see a quaint little town on a large mesa that looked very much like the shadow of an airplane, complete with a mountain structure behind it that resembled a plane tail and little hills at the other end that looked like propellers. The tow truck entered the town and stared in awe at the numerous planes of all makes and models going about their business. Mater couldn't even remember the last time he met a plane in person.

"Dad gum!" Mater breathed, awestruck by how much the adorable little town reminded him of Radiator Springs.

"Good morning!" a plane greeted as he passed.

"Mornin'." Mater nodded back.

"Howdy!" another plane nodded his nose.

"Hi!" Mater returned the greeting.

"How ya doin'?" a third plane tipped his wing.

"Doin' good." Mater said with a smile. "Them planes is friendly!" He finally arrived to a placed called Pancho's Fill N' Fly and dropped off the car he towed.

"Welcome to Propwash!" one of the forklift attendants called as he and his buddies began working on the car.

"Glad to be here." Mater said. He jumped at the sound of powerful engines, and he looked up to see four fast-flying jets speed overhead. Their blue-and-red paint with gold detailing were easily recognizable. "Wow! The Falcon Hawks!" Mater breathed. The four Falcon Hawks came in for a landing, taxiing right past Mater. "Lookin' good!" Mater called to them.

"Why thank you, buddy!" one of the Hawks called back.

"Comin' to the air show tomorrow?" another asked.

"Yesiree!" Mater agreed. He and Sheriff weren't supposed to go back to Radiator Springs until tomorrow evening, so he could still have time to see the show before they had to leave. Mater sighed. "That's just flat-out awesome." He caught sight of another hanger across the way, and he noticed a wing-shaped sign at the top. "'Skipper's Flight School.'" Mater read. "'We can teach anyone how to fly. Guaranteed.' Well shoot! I'm anyone!"

Inside the hanger, Mater noticed several crates of airplane parts lying around and a blue-gray Navy Corsair plane in the corner. The Corsair was apparently sleeping, snoring softly.

"Uh, excuse me." Mater piped up. "Excuse me!"

The Corsair snorted a bit as he woke up. "Huh? What?"

"Is the Skipper here?" Mater asked.

"I'm Skipper." The Corsair introduced.

"Kin you learn me how to fly?" Mater requested excitedly.

Skipper blinked. "But, uh, you're a tow truck."

Mater frowned a bit. "Well the sign says you kin teach _anyone_ , guaranteed."

Skipper rolled his eyes and sighed, his propeller twitching. He knew he never should've let Sparky be in charge of designing that sign. "I gotta change that sign. Sparky!"

"Yeah, Boss?" a forklift asked, hurrying in from the other room of the hanger.

"You and Sky suit this guy up." Skipper said reluctantly.

"Oh, sure thing, Skipper!" Sparky nodded, leading Mater further into the hanger to get properly outfitted with what he needed.

Skipper only sighed and rolled out of the hanger to prepare the lesson. _I don't know how those two talked me into this._

"So who's Sky?" Mater asked as Sparky began looking for the right tools.

"Oh, that's Skipper's daughter." Sparky explained. "Hold on." He looked towards the doorway he recently came through. "Hey Sky! Come on! We got ourselves a good one!"

"Coming!" a girl's voice called from the other room.

Mater expected to see another Corsair, but blinked in surprise when a young human girl came through the door. She looked about eleven or twelve years old, with raven black hair pulled into a braid, fair skin, and blue-green eyes. She wore jeans, black sneakers, and a long-sleeved red shirt with a belt of tools around her hips. "Oh. Yer Sky?" Mater asked.

"That's me!" the girl nodded. "Skylar Amelia Riley, at your service!"

"Cool!" Mater said excitedly. "Kin ya help me fly?"

"No problem!" Sky nodded. "Right Sparky?"

"Yeah!" Sparky agreed.

Soon enough, Sparky managed to bolt on a pair of wings to Mater's sides and a rudder and propeller to his flatbed. Sky helped fix everything on so it wouldn't fall off, though she found it strange that the pieces of metal seemed to be rusty just like Mater. But she shook it off, assured in the quality of the materials. For the finishing touch, the young girl outfitted Mater with a pilot's helmet and a pair of goggles. Once they were done, Mater looked ready to fly.

Well, really he just looked like a tow truck with wings and a propeller.

"All right!" Mater whooped. "Let's do this!"

"Oh boy." Skipper sighed.

"This should be interesting." Sky giggled, hanging a pair of binoculars around her neck.

Mater, Skipper, Sparky, and Sky gathered at the edge of the runway for Skipper to go over his lesson. Sparky stood by a stand with several diagram cards to help Mater understand, but to Sky they looked mostly like gibberish with pretty pictures. Sparky went through each diagram for Skipper while Sky sat on Skipper's wing and waited for instructions.

"All right, you got your thrust, lift, drag, and gravity." Skipper said, trying to keep professional no matter how ridiculous this all seemed.

"Okay!" Mater nodded, bouncing excitedly like a hyperactive puppy. His propeller spun crazily, clearly showing how ready he felt to fly.

"You gotta give it some throttle."

"Uh-huh!"

"And once you get up to speed, your wings are your lift."

"Yes sir!"

"Now, you're rudder is for your yah."

"My yah?"

"Get your nose up and try to keep her level."

"Uh-huh!"

"Clear?"

"Clear!"

Suddenly, Mater shot off down the runway. "Uh oh." Sky intoned.

"Get up to speed." Mater muttered to himself, keeping an eye on the end of the runway. "Wings are for lift. Give it some throttle. Steer with the rudder. Oh-ho! This is hard!"

"Pull up! Pull up!" Skipper shouted.

Mater didn't pull up. In fact, he went right over the edge of the runway cliff.

Skipper, Sparky, and Sky stared. Sky face-palmed. "Better change that sign." Skipper told Sparky.

"Sure thing, Skipper." Sparky drove off to do just that.

"Yee-hoo!"

Skipper and Sky jumped a little when Mater suddenly shot up into the air. In fact, he actually started flying! A little unsteadily, but still flying over the fields of Propwash Junction. Of course, then his tow hook caught onto a telephone line and rocketed him back again. But instead of crashing, Mater actually ended up flying backwards without a problem.

"Look at me!" Mater cheered. "I'm flyin' backerds!"

"Whoa." Sky said, watching Mater through her binoculars. "Never seen backwards flying except from a helicopter."

"I really _can_ teach anyone!" Skipper grinned. "Hey! Put that sign back!" Sparky hurriedly did as he was told, smirking. Skipper chuckled. "If the boys on the _Flysenhower_ could see this!"

Sky watched as Mater continued flying backwards and even did a few loops. Then she thought of something as she gave her father a look. "Hey, Mr. Greatest Flight Teacher in the World, did you teach him how to land?"

"He shot off so fast I'm surprised he learned how to fly!" Skipper scoffed. His eyes widened a bit. "Uh oh."

Sky laughed. "Well, if he learned to fly, he can learn to land. I'll go spot him and make sure he doesn't crash." She hopped off Skipper's wing and jogged off to keep a better eye on Mater. She braced herself as he came in for quite the shaky landing.

"Got it!" Mater yelped as his tires hit the runway. He started bouncing "Lost it. Got it!" He yelped a bit more as he bounced along the runway before flipping over to rest on his roof. "Lost it."

"You okay?" Sky asked, standing next to Mater and bending over to look him in the eyes with her head upside-down.

"Yeah! That was fun!" Mater said. "But, uh, I can't git up."

"Oh don't worry! I got ya!" Sky immediately leaped up onto Mater's wings, hopping back and forth from one wing to the other and causing Mater to rock side to side. With one last mighty jump, Sky managed to kick Mater over and back onto his tires.

"Thanks!" Mater said gratefully. The two of them heard a whoop, and they looked over to see the Falcon Hawks approached them. One of the planes had bandages wrapped around one of his wings.

"How would you like to be a Falcon Hawk?" the female Falcon Hawk asked.

"Dad gum!" Mater breathed.

Sky scratched her head in confusion. "'Dad gum'?"

* * *

The next day, everyone in Propwash gathered to watch the air show. Even Skipper, Sparky, and Sky showed up to see how Mater would fair flying with the Falcon Hawks.

As the Falcon Hawk performance finally arrived, everyone was in awe. Sky kept an eye on Mater through her binoculars. She had to admit Mater looked pretty cool in his "Mater Hawk" paintjob for the show. Skipper was rather impressed by how quickly Mater learned such intricate maneuvers. The tow truck seemed to take to flying like a fish took to water. Mater and the other Falcon Hawks used cloudy smoke emitting from their exhaust pipes to create shapes in the sky. They did a tic-tac-toe game, created cloud pins for Mater to shoot through for a perfect strike, and Mater even did a cloud drawing of himself with his signature.

Sky rolled her eyes. "Show-off."

For a grand finale, two of the Falcon Hawks strung a strong cable between them and Mater flew right into it. He caught his tow hook onto the cable, catching it and briefly halting his flight. The cable shot Mater backwards like a slingshot, sending him flying backwards higher and higher into the air. A loud boom echoed into the air.

"He broke the sound barrier!" Skipper realized.

"He's breaking the record!" The announcer called as Mater went higher and higher.

"Uh, his wings are breaking off." Sky said, still staring through her binoculars.

"Huh?" Sparky and Skipper asked at once. Sky put her binoculars to each of their windshields so they could look. Sure enough, the force of the powerful, high-speed flight tore off the bolts that kept Mater's wings and propeller on him, and when he stopped ascending his helmet popped off.

"Uh oh." Mater gulped a second before he started falling.

"He'll be a smudge on the asphalt!" Sparky gasped. "What do we do?"

"I'm gonna be sick." Mater groaned as he spun around out of control.

* * *

"And then you swooped in—"

"Wait a minute!" Lightning interrupted Mater's story. "Now I remember what's so funny about that story! I was never in it!"

"Sure you were!" Mater insisted.

"No, I really wasn't." Lightning countered. "I've never even been to Propwash Junction. I'm still not sure the place exists."

"Ye were there! And ye flew with me an' the Falcon Hawks!"

"Not once in my life have I ever flown with the Falcon Hawks. I've never flown unless I was riding _in_ a plane."

"But I'm tellin' ya—"

"Come on, Mater. What _really_ happened?"

Mater sighed. "Oh all right."

* * *

"I'm gonna be sick." Mater groaned as he spun around out of control.

Sky looked around, her brain racing for a solution. Finally, she spied one. "I got an idea! But I need some help!"

Mater looked down and saw the ground rapidly approaching him. "Oh dad gum!"

Sky looked back and forth between a falling Mater and what would hopefully stop his fall. "Okay, a little to the left. Little to the right." She called, directly the vehicles helping her. "Come forward. No, wait! Go back! Little to the right. Stop!" She nodded in satisfaction. Her eyes widened at the sight of Mater approaching rapidly. "Heads up!" Everyone jumped away as Mater crashed down…

….right onto a very bouncy bounce house.

"Whoa!" Mater yelped as the bounce house suddenly shot him back into the sky.

"Oops." Sky said. "Too bouncy." She pulled out a pocketknife and unfolded the blade, stabbing a small hole into the bounce house. The next time Mater came down, he pushed a lot of the air out of the bounce house and the inflatable structure cushioned his fall. Sky climbed up onto the bounce house to reach him. "Hey Mater! You okay?"

Thankfully, Mater looked unharmed. In fact, he wore a smile a mile wide. "That was cool!" He hooked his tow hook onto Sky's shirt, lifting her up to his roof as he drove out to the tarmac. The crowd cheered in amazement and relief, thankful for Sky's quick thinking. Sky waved and Mater stood tall and proud.

After the show, Mater had to say his goodbyes. He bid the Falcon Hawks farewell first, thanking them for the great flight. Then he went to Skipper, Sparky, and Sky to say goodbye and request another set of wings.

"You sure you want to fly to Sterling?" Sky asked. "It'd be easier to drive."

"Yeah, but I wanna show Sheriff that I kin fly!" Mater laughed, back in his flight gear.

"Well you take it easy out there, tow truck." Skipper said with a soft chuckle.

"Thanks Mr. The Skipper!" Mater said.

"Hope to run into you again, Mater!" Sparky waved as Mater drove off to the runway with Sky leading the way.

"Bye Sparky! Thanks fer everythin'!" Mater called.

Sky gave Mater's fender a hug. "Bye Mater. If you're ever in Minnesota again, come stop by, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Mater nodded, nuzzling the girl. "If yer ever in Radiator Springs, look me up! Tow Mater! Towin' and Salvage!"

Sky laughed. "Okay! Bye!"

Mater started up his propeller and shot off backwards, taking to the sky. "Huh. Harley would git along with her purty well."

Sky skipped back to Skipper and Sparky, the three of them watching Mater fly off. "Dad, you taught a _tow truck_ to fly." Sky giggled.

"You sure did!" Sparky laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Skipper chuckled. But they paused when Mater suddenly hit a tree, his wings falling off and forcing him back onto the highway.

"I'm okay!" Mater's voice could be heard faintly from over the hill, the tow truck beginning to drive backwards along the highway.

"Or….not….." Skipper muttered.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh how I enjoyed this one! So fun! Hope you liked it too!**


	15. Sheriff's Bath Troubles

**Sheriff's Bath Troubles**

Life in Radiator Springs seemed so slow it was like the place became a ghost town. The residents longed for the day they could have somewhat regular business again. But they took comfort in knowing that none of the original residents wanted to leave. They were a family, after all, and family sticks together.

So when Paula announced a new member of the family would be joining them soon, nobody could hide their joy. Harley brought new light to their lives. The little tyke certainly had energy to spare, and it sometimes took a lot out of the residents just to keep up with her.

Luckily, Mater was always around to help. It took a while for everyone to trust leaving him alone with the young child, but by the time Harley turned two it soon became necessary to leave them alone together. Mater was often the only one who could keep up with the child, and the two of them romped around and played from sunup to sundown.

Like today, when Mater had the brilliant idea to take Harley out to play in the mud.

A late winter storm brought down torrential rainfall in one night. It became clear and sunny the next morning, but when Mater became trusted to babysit Harley, he immediately took her out to a huge mud puddle he found and the two began romping around in the mud and splashing each other. The two of them ended up having a full-on mud war, with Harley throwing clumps of mud like snowballs while Mater grabbed her with his tow hook and gently dragged her through the puddle.

"Harley and Mater!"

The two of them paused in their play at the stern tone someone called their names with. They shrunk back a bit when they saw Paula and Doc at the edge of the puddle, both looking very unimpressed by the amount of mud that coated the tow truck and little girl.

"Uh oh." Harley cooed.

Mater and Harley followed Doc and Paula back into town, where Red was recruited to gently hose them down. But when Harley refused to step into the cold water, Mater made it into a game with Red to help get them clean.

Paula sighed. "I suppose there are ups and downs to having Mater babysit."

"He's just a child in a man's body." Sheriff chuckled. "Nothin' to really be concerned about."

"Yes, but now I have to worry about giving Harley a bath." Paula said. "It's a two-person job because someone usually has to distract her while the other actually washes her. John and my parents are both out of town visiting friends."

"If you'd like some help, I'd be happy to offer my services." Sheriff said.

"You sure?" Paula asked.

"No problem! I wouldn't want ya to be stuck doin' this alone if it gives ya a hard time." Sheriff assured. "Besides, how hard can it be ta wash a kid?"

Paula laughed. "Well thank you. I really appreciate it." She walked off and managed to catch Harley, announcing it was bath time. Harley whined, but could only frown as she waved goodbye to Mater and Red. Sheriff followed Paula back to her house, promising Harley she would see everyone again at dinner. Harley perked up again after that.

Luckily for Sheriff, Paula's home was plenty big enough for her vehicular neighbors to come inside. He joined Paula as they went to a large bathroom next to the backyard, and Paula began to fill the bathtub with warm water. Harley took off her shorts, shirt, and underwear, tossing it all onto Sheriff's hood. The police car only chuckled and deposited the sopping wet laundry into a basket near the washer and dryer across the hall.

"Sheriff gonna bath with us?" Harley asked as her mother helped her step into the tub.

"Yes, if you can behave." Paula said, picking up a sponge and fruit-scented bath soap from the corner of the tub.

"Okay!" Harley cheered, the two-year-old splashing a bit in the tub. Sheriff chuckled, nuzzling the girl's head. Harley giggled at the affectionate touch. She reached out towards the bathroom sink, and Sheriff glanced over to see a soft sponge attached to a wooden handle. After getting permission from Paula, Sheriff grabbed the sponge in his teeth and handed it to the girl. As Paula began shampooing Harley's still-muddy hair, Harley dipped the sponge end of her brush into the suds around her. Then she took the soapy sponge and pressed it to Sheriff's hood, just above his grill.

"Oh, Harley!" Paula struggled to not laugh at Sheriff's perplexed reaction. "What are you doing?"

"Sheriff gotta be clean too! Be clean and catch bad guys!" Harley said, lightly scrubbing Sheriff's hood.

Sheriff chuckled. "It's okay, Paula. It keeps her occupied."

Paula giggled, continuing to wash her child. Harley kept swishing the sponge around and smacking it gently against Sheriff's grill and headlights, everywhere she could reach from her spot in the tub. "Clean Sheriff. Clean Sheriff." Harley said in a sing-song tone. "Keeping clean Sheriff to keep ev'ryone safe. Clean Sheriff. Beat bad guys, Sheriff."

The Mercury laughed, patiently sitting still while Harley splashed soap onto his headlights. _The mind of a two-year-old, especially Harley's, is certainly an interestin' one. Don't think I'll ever be able ta follow her thoughts._

Suddenly, Harley stuck her sponge into Sheriff's mouth. Past the fruit scent came the awful taste of the soap, and Sheriff gagged as he inadvertently reversed. His bumper hit the wall, and he sputtered a few times and made a face with his tongue sticking out. For a fruit-scented soap, it still didn't taste too great.

"Harley!" Paula yelped in surprise.

Harley looked surprised and sheepish. "I was jus' brushing your teeth." She said innocently.

Sheriff chuckled, still trying to get the soap taste out of his mouth. "Well thanks, Harley darlin'. But I can brush my own teeth. Besides, soap doesn't go in your mouth."

"Oh. Sorry." Harley said sheepishly.

"That's okay." Sheriff assured, remaining patient with the child. Harley set the brush aside, still embarrassed. But as her mother continued to wash her, Sheriff kept Harley entertained by talking with her. Harley rambled on and on about everything she did that day (though Sheriff was there to see most of it) and other random topics from the toys she played with to Sarge promising to take her camping for her birthday. Sheriff continued to speak with her, keeping her occupied. It didn't feel like a chore, despite Paula's concerns. Like everyone else in the town, Sheriff loved Harley and would do anything for her, even if it meant spending half an hour talking to her while getting his grill and headlights scrubbed.

"All done!" Paula finally announced. "Sheriff, will you help her out while I go get a towel?"

"You got it!" Sheriff nodded. Paula stood and jogged off while Sheriff drove a little closer to the bathtub. Harley recently took to splashing the sudsy water again, giggling with every slap to the water. "Come on now, Harley. Let's get you dried off."

"Splishy-splashy!" Harley laughed, plunging her fists into the water.

"Harley." Sheriff intoned, trying to be gentle yet firm. "Come along." He dipped down so Harley could grab the top of his hood and pull herself up. But Harley splashed the water again, and this time the water and soap flew right up into Sheriff's windshield. The police car yelped. "Ah! It stings! It burns! Ouch!"

Harley sunk down in the water, sheepish again. "Uh oh."

Paula, hearing the commotion, hurried back into the bathroom. "Sheriff?"

Sheriff blinked furiously. "Everything's good!"

Paula moaned in sympathy when she saw the white of Sheriff's eyes suddenly turn reddish-pink. "Oh Sheriff."

"Is it bad?" Sheriff chuckled weakly.

Paula looked to her daughter with a scolding glare. "Harley. What do we say?" She would always be gentle with her daughter, but she also knew when to be firm to raise Harley right.

"Sorry." Harley said.

"Just don' do it again, okay Harley darlin'?" Sheriff chuckled, helping Harley out of the tub.

"Okay." Harley nodded, giggling as her mother cocooned her into a soft towel.

"Here, Sheriff. Let me help you too." Paula offered, looking for a washcloth.

"Don' worry about it." Sheriff assured. "I'll go git a hose down from Red."

"You sure?" Paula asked.

"You take care of yer kid." Sheriff assured. "See you two at dinner!" He left before Paula could protest, and he quickly drove towards the firehouse. His eyes still stung a lot, but he pushed the pain aside and began searching for Red. He eventually spied the firetruck down at Flo's with the rest of the residents. _Oh great. Now I gotta explain it to everyone. Well, at least I have a good excuse._ So Sheriff steeled his nerves and drove off to the café.

Of course, the residents immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at the police car. "Good grief, Sheriff." Doc gawked a little, trying to not laugh. "Were you bit by a rabid animal?"

That's when Sheriff realized he probably still had soap on his grill and headlights. The townsfolk saw Sheriff's reddish-pink eyes and the suds around his mouth, making him look (as Doc put it) rabid. "Just had an interestin' little adventure with Harley's bath time."

"Never thought bath time would cause such humorous results." Sarge chuckled.

"Ya look funny!" Mater laughed.

Sheriff rolled his eyes at the townsfolk's laughter. "Yeah, yeah. You try bathin' a two-year-old, and then we'll talk. Red, do ya mind?" Red nodded, gently spraying the soap from Sheriff's mouth and eyes. Sheriff's eyes were still red, but he felt much better now.

Paula and Harley came up some time later, the little girl dressed in clean clothes and ready for dinner. "Hey Paula!" Ramone snickered. "I hear Harley gave Sheriff a hard time with her bath!" Several of the other townsfolk laughed, only earning an eye roll from Sheriff.

"On the contrary." Paula said, coming up to stand next to the police car. "Sheriff was a big help for me. Thank you, Sheriff." She gave the car a kiss on his side, causing him to freeze up a bit.

Harley hugged Sheriff as best she could. "Thank you, Sheriff! Can I eat dinner with you?"

"You bet, kiddo." Sheriff chuckled.

"Yay!" Harley yipped, plopping down on the ground next to Sheriff and waiting patiently for her mother to go get her dinner. The rest of the townsfolk either resumed eating or started grumbling a bit at the attention Sheriff suddenly got from Harley. Sheriff smirked proudly, laughing as Harley leaned against him and kissed his fender.

Sheriff – 1. Rest of the town – 0.


	16. Dusty's Shame

**Dusty's Shame**

Emergencies still didn't happen much around Propwash Junction, so it took a day or two for Dusty and Sky to get used to the somewhat hectic nature of working at Piston Peak Air Attack for half of fire season. But they melted into the scenario like second nature, never losing their touch. The firefighters always welcomed their comrades back warmly. Blade, though still a rough and stern fire chief at heart, always greeted them with a nuzzle to Sky and a nod to Dusty with a "Welcome back, Champ." Both Dusty and Sky loved being at Piston Peak, and they were happy to still be welcome on the base.

But this had been a dry year, and fires were more common in the park. Small ones, not nearly big enough to make the news, but still requiring the attention of the firefighters.

"Dipper, set up for a drop on the north end of the fire near the river." Blade barked out his orders. "Champ, tag on and extend."

"Copy that!"

"You got it, Chief!"

Sky, more often than not, stayed in Blade's hoist hatch so she could keep an eye out for civilians trapped in the fire or monitoring the Smokejumpers. On occasion, she would stay with Maru back on base and stand guard in case someone came in with an injury. So far, it seemed to be a smooth fight. Everyone did their jobs and the fire had only a slow rate of spread. But Sky still kept a vigil lookout, wary of any changes. They were almost done containing the fire when Patch called reporting a second fire beginning to form downriver. Blade sent Windlifter, Dynamite, Blackout, and Avalanche ahead to start taking care of it while everyone else kept working on the current fire. Sky kept her radio on so she could hear updates from the rest of the team.

" _Blade! Come in, Blade!"_ Dusty's voice crackled over the radio.

"What's goin' on?" Blade asked.

" _I just finished my drop but I'm out of retardant."_ Dusty said. _"Should I scoop off the river?"_

Blade looked towards the river. They may have had a dry year, but the river was still plenty high enough to scoop off. The winds were calm. Besides, they needed to finish up this fire quickly so they could help Windlifter at the second flame. "Go ahead. But be careful!"

" _Copy that!"_ Dusty banked off and flew around, heading for the river surface. Sky kept a close eye on Dusty. For some reason, she felt a little uneasy about letting Dusty scoop off the river. Or maybe she thought too much about what happened when he tried to scoop off the lake during their last big inferno.

Dusty smoothly glided down to the surface of the river, pontoon scoops down and ready to go. He hadn't needed to scoop off the river in a long time, but he felt confident he still knew what to do.

" _If we're gonna get this fire out, I've gotta reload."_

" _Pull up! That's an order!"_

" _No! I can do this!"_

Dusty shook his nose a bit, continuing his steady dive. _That's in the past. I'm a better firefighter now._ His pontoons touched the surface of the water and he began his scoop.

" _Dusty! Watch out!"_ Sky suddenly shouted over his radio. But her warning came right before a log floating in the river suddenly flipped up in the current. For a split-second, Dusty saw the brown of the tree. Then one of his pontoons caught the log and the bark scraped against his hide. His propellers chipped off pieces of the wood as he suddenly took a nosedive into the river.

"Champ! Dusty!" Blade shouted, making a hairpin turn and flying towards the river. He and Sky scanned the water for a moment before sighing in relief at the sight of Dusty popping up from the waves. His pontoons kept him afloat, and he sputtered and coughed up water that forced into his mouth.

"Dusty, you okay?" Sky asked into the radio.

" _I'm fine."_ Dusty coughed. _"But my engine's…..stalled….."_

Sky heard something strange in Dusty's voice. Like he was just reminded of a very unfortunate task he had to do. But she shook it off as Blade gave his orders. "Dipper, Dynamite! Keep working on that fire. I'll check back in as soon as I can. Dusty, keep your pontoons downstream. I'll pull you to shore."

" _I'll get out on my own."_ Dusty murmured.

Blade blinked in surprise. "Come again?"

" _I said 'copy that.'"_ Dusty said, sounding completely serious and not like he was trying to cover up something. Blade would've shrugged if he could, and he flew after Dusty.

The plane continued to bounce around in the currents of the river, lacking control in the waves. But he remained calm, keeping an eye on Blade and hoping the helicopter could pull him to land soon.

 _The current swept him away again, down a small drop and under fallen trees that hung over the river._

" _Are you all right?"_

" _I'm okay!"_

" _There's too much coverage. Don't worry! I'll get you at the next clearing!"_

Dusty shook his nose again, groaning in frustration. _Stop. What's going on with me?_

Sky watched anxiously, switching her gaze back and forth between Dusty and the river ahead of them to keep track of how far they went. "Blade, we should be coming up on a small beach where Dusty can get back to the lodge from here."

"Copy that." Blade said, readying his hoist. He threw the hook and cable, wrapping it around Dusty's tail. But before it could tighten, the loop slipped over Dusty's tail and came loose. Blade growled a little in frustration. Normally, he had killer aim and would rarely miss a shot like that. But he couldn't get a good angle, and there wasn't an easy place to grab Dusty with the winch. Moreover, the unpredictable nature of the river only added to the difficulty.

"Let me go down there." Sky offered, either seeming to read or actually reading Blade's thoughts.

" _Sky, stay up there!"_

" _It's too dangerous."_

" _The hoist! It's caught!"_

" _I got it!"_

" _Redline it!"_

" _Dusty!"_

Dusty shut his eyes and growled, louder this time. _What's going on? Why do I keep thinking about that? It was a stupid mistake but I'm not making it again! Just get out of my head, stupid memory!_

"Dusty?"

Dusty opened his eyes to see Sky standing on one of his pontoons, staring at him worriedly. It appeared that, during his frustration and flashbacks, Sky came down on Blade's hoist and hooked it around one of Dusty's pontoons, allowing Blade to pull Dusty towards a sandy beach just ahead. Now, Sky stood on Dusty's pontoon and held onto his propeller to keep her balance, and she looked concerned.

"You okay?" Sky asked.

"I'm fine." Dusty assured.

Sky analyzed Dusty's gaze, but she knew they were already in a bad situation and she couldn't push it right now. She would just have to chalk it up to shock from getting hit and swept away.

Blade managed to haul Dusty back to solid ground and the little plane popped out his pontoon wheels to roll up onto shore. Sky unhooked Blade's hoist and he reeled in the cable. "Champ, you all right?"

"I'm okay." Dusty confirmed.

"Good." Blade gave a small nod. "Sky, you go with him back to the lodge and take off. Meet up with Windlifter and start helping with that fire. I'm going back to check on Dipper's progress."

"Copy that." Sky and Dusty said at once. Blade flew off.

"Come on, Dusty." Sky said, beginning to walk through the trees.

" _No. No, you take Sky and go on. I'll keep moving."_

Dusty blinked, but shook off the memory and began following Sky. But they didn't get far when they heard Blade's voice above them, shouting for them to stop. They looked up as Blade hurriedly yet carefully lowered himself through a space in the trees and landed in front of them.

"We gotta get out of here." Blade urged, leading them down a different path.

"What's wrong?" Dusty asked.

"We ended up getting carried right next to the fire Windlifter was fighting." Blade explained. "Winds have picked up and it's almost on top of us."

Sky and Dusty briefly looked behind them to see a thick column of smoke, and the air definitely felt warmer. The two of them quickly followed Blade through the trees, but within minutes they could feel the temperature rising as the fire caught up with them.

"Blade, what do we do?" Sky asked, forcing her fear into a corner for now. "We can't outrun it."

"Just give me a minute." Blade muttered, scanning their surroundings. Sky was right; the fire had grown to a moderate/rapid rate of spread, which means it would soon be on top of them. There wasn't a meadow or any clear place for Dusty to take off, and the trees were getting too close together even for Blade to hover out. If they didn't find a safe spot soon, they'd have to take cover somewhere and let the fire burn over. It wasn't the most favorable option, but it might be their only shot at getting out of the fire without injury.

"Blade, there!" Sky stopped the helicopter and pointed. Blade followed her gaze to a cave at the bottom of a mountain, just high enough for him and Dusty to get in.

"Good eye." Blade nodded, leading Sky and Dusty towards the cave. The fire grew closer, beginning to surround them. Sky darted into the cave to scope it out while Blade stopped outside. "Windlifter, come in."

" _I read you, Chief."_ Windlifter replied.

"Dusty, Sky, and I ran into a bit of a problem. Fire's almost on top of us." Blade explained quickly. "We're taking shelter in a cave for now. I'll radio you when we're out safely."

" _Copy that."_ Windlifter said hesitantly.

"Windlifter, I'll be fine." Blade assured. He signed off, and he hurried into the cave. "Sky? Where are you?"

"Right here!" Sky called, jogging up to him. "The cave's pretty deep and it doesn't look occupied. We'll be safe in here."

"Good." Blade nodded. He turned around to keep an eye on the fire, but then he noticed something. "Wait a minute. Where's Dusty?"

Sky and Blade took a look, but quickly realized Dusty was nowhere in sight. Before Blade could stop her, Sky darted back out of the cave and into the fire. Blade was careful to keep right behind her. _Damn it! How did I lose track of him?_ Blade growled in frustration, but pushed his anger aside for now. He and Sky shouted for Dusty, praying they could find him before the fire completely engulfed them.

* * *

" _You can't outrun the fire."_

" _I didn't want to push my engine."_

" _You don't have what it takes. You don't!"_

" _I never wanted to be a firefighter anyway!"_

" _Then go back to racing!"_

" _I CAN'T!"_

"Dusty? Dusty!"

"Champ, wake up!"

Dusty's eyes shot open, and he suddenly registered everything about his surroundings at once. Most of the forest around him was aflame, and Blade and Sky stood right in front of him. They shouted at him, panicked and concerned. It took a minute for Dusty to register that they were ordering him to move his tail and follow them. Dusty shook his nose and obeyed, staying right beside Blade as they all hurried back to the cave.

But as they came closer, Dusty slowed down and stopped again. His eyes widened as he stared at the cave as though the structure were a monster. Sky noticed Dusty stop again and groaned in frustration as she ran back to him.

"Dusty, what is the matter with you?" Sky demanded.

Dusty didn't answer, his eyes wide and his breathing borderline hyperventilating. All he felt was pure terror, and he couldn't stop thinking about that mine. He couldn't fully register the scenery around him. It all looked too much like those moments before he, Blade, and Sky became trapped in that old mine. That moment seemed decades ago.

"Dusty, you gotta calm down." Sky urged, trying to keep a calm tone to her own voice. "Come on! We have to get into that cave!"

Dusty froze, staring at the cave with that same terror-filled gaze. _No. Not in there. Not again._

"Move it, Crophopper!" Blade snapped a second before he suddenly rammed into Dusty from behind, sending the plane shooting forward and into the mine. Sky jumped, landing on Dusty's wing and getting thrown into the cave with him. Dusty careened to one side and slammed nose-first into the wall, instantly going into a daze. Sky jumped off Dusty's wing and hurried to the entrance of the cave, searching for Blade. She found him on the other side of a flaming tree that fell over just a few feet from the cave. Blade managed to jump up high enough to get his front wheel over, pushing with his back wheels to force the rest of him over the log. He grimaced a bit at the flaming bark scratching his retardant tank, but once he got over he hurried into the cave. A couple more flaming trees fell over the entrance to the cave. Sky screamed, but Blade herded her further into the cave and the two of them pushed Dusty along. A wave of flames rushed into the cave, but Blade only felt it lick his tail before they got a safe distance away.

Out of instinct, Blade put himself between Dusty and Sky to protect them. Sky shielded her face with her arms as the heat rushed into the cave, instantly drying the wetness on her jeans from the river. Dusty kept hyperventilating, his eyes wild.

 _Huge chunks of burning wood fell in front of the entrance._

 _A wave of fire shot straight towards them._

 _He braced himself for the burning sensation on his hide, only to find Blade taking the full brunt of the impact._

 _He was fully encased in Blade's shadow, unable to do anything while the fire chief became injured protecting him and Sky._

"Dusty, stop hyperventilating like that!" Blade snapped. "You're just going to hurt your lungs and Maru will throw a fit!"

Sky noticed Dusty was truly hyperventilating, to the point where he began wheezing. "Knock that off, Dusty! What's the matter with you?"

But Dusty didn't seem to hear her or Blade. It was like he became deaf to everything around him.

Sky slapped her hands against Dusty's nose. "Damn it, Dusty! Stop it!" Secretly, Sky wished she could just knock Dusty out for the time being. Her psych-man powers seemed to react to her wish, because she felt a surge of her power flow from her and into Dusty. The plane tensed up, then relaxed and closed his eyes as he fell into unconsciousness. Sky jumped back, a little shocked by what she did.

"What'd you do?" Blade called over the roar of the fire. Sky shrugged, then flinched again when more debris fell in front of the cave. Soon, they were plunged into darkness. Blade flicked on his lights, casting the glow towards Sky and Dusty. "You all right?"

Sky coughed a bit. "Yeah. I'm good." Her eyes widened a bit. "What about you? Are you okay?" She hurried to the other side of Blade, the side exposed to the fire, but to her relief she saw no burns or injuries of any kind.

Blade chuckled softly. "I'm fine, Raven. Really."

"Good." Sky smiled. "Because I thought for sure I would have to pound you this time."

Blade rolled his eyes, but he cast a concerned glance to Dusty. _Why did he freeze up like that? He's never done that before._

* * *

Dusty woke up a few hours later and, soon after he did, they all heard the sound of a saw cutting through wood. Light streamed into the cave, and a voice called in.

"Hey Chief! Sky! Dusty! You in there?"

"Blackout?" Sky called.

"We're in here!" Blade called.

"THEY'RE ALIVE!" Avalanche cheered. He and Blackout resumed their work, cutting the logs and pushing them aside until the entrance was clear enough for Blade, Sky, and Dusty to come out.

"Fire contained?" Blade asked, looking around at the retardant-coated, burned remains of the trees and greenery around them.

"You bet." Dynamite nodded. "Windlifter's standing by in case of a medical airlift and Maru's waiting on the call."

"Good." Blade nodded, switching on his radio and calling Maru.

"Never loses his touch." Sky noted as she, Dusty, and the Smokejumpers watched Blade work. "Even in a life-or-death situation."

"It's second nature for him, now." Dynamite shrugged. "He never loses his focus. Part of the job, I guess."

Once Blade finished his call, he returned to the others. "How much longer until it's fully out?"

"We should be able to mop it up by tonight." Dynamite assured. "We'll meet you back at base."

"Perfect." Blade nodded crisply. "Raven, Champ, let's go."

"Yes Chief." Dusty and Sky said, the former quieter than the latter. They followed Blade dutifully through the forest, expecting to find a clear place to take off to fly back to base. But, to their surprise, Blade led them to the road leading up to the base and forced them to hike all the way back. Neither one of them questioned him. Blade didn't really seem to be in the mood for it anyway.

Maru stood at the entrance to the base when they returned. "Hey guys! I was gettin' worried about ya."

"Everyone here and accounted for?" Blade asked, not really acknowledging Maru's mild concern.

Maru saw this, and he instantly recognized Blade's body language and stern glare that showed he was in a bad mood. _Uh oh. Not good._ "Yep. Smokejumpers are still at the second fire, mopping it up. Everyone else is here."

Blade nodded, then spoke up in a sharp tone. "Crophopper! Come with me. We need to talk."

Dusty flinched, but dutifully followed Blade towards the main hanger. Sky and Maru exchanged looks. "He's really angry, isn't he?" Sky guessed.

"Oh yeah." Maru sighed. "What happened out there?"

Sky stared after the aircraft as they disappeared into the hanger. "I'm not really sure."

In the main hanger, Blade shut the door to give them privacy and rolled up to Dusty, his eyes settled into one of his angrier glares. Dusty swallowed a bit. Blade still had a Glare of Doom, and he wasn't afraid to use it.

"Mind tellin' me what happened out there?" Blade asked/demanded.

Dusty looked down. "Uh…..it's hard to explain….."

"Find a way to explain it easier." Blade ordered.

Dusty cringed. _Great. He's using the same tone Skipper takes with me when he's trying to force answers. I hate that._ "It's just…I mean…uh…"

Blade kept glaring at him for a moment, but he forced himself to calm down a few notches. "You froze out there. It was like you had never been in a fire before. What happened to make you freeze?"

Dusty refused to make eye contact with Blade. "It's nothing."

"It's not 'nothing.'" Blade snapped. "It almost got you killed." Dusty cringed again. Blade tried to stay calm, knowing he couldn't lose his temper quite yet. "Were you in shock from the river?"

"No." Dusty said.

"Did you get hit by any debris from the fire?"

"No."

"Was there a malfunction with your engine or gearbox?"

"No."

"Are you injured at all?"

"No."

Blade was steadily losing his patience. "Then tell me what the hell was goin' through your canopy while you were just standing there in the middle of a wildfire."

Dusty sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." Blade challenged.

"No. You really just won't understand." Dusty insisted, turning a little ways away from Blade.

The fire chief glared hard. "Fine." He turned and began making his way to the door. "You are hereby grounded until further notice."

Dusty gawked at him. "What?!"

"You clearly are in need of medical attention or may require psychological help." Blade said in a firm, authoritative tone. "So you are grounded and will not go flying for _any reason_ until Maru deems you fit to work."

"But what about when another fire breaks out?" Dusty protested. "You might need me!"

Blade whipped around to the plane, his glare burning with fresh intensity. "Well you'll be a pretty useless firefighter if all you can do is stand there and do nothing!"

Dusty shrunk back, his eyes lowering to the ground. Blade turned and left the hanger, but he heard footsteps and found Sky walking beside him. He knew a talk would be coming. There was a line between friend and chief, but Sky always knew how to talk in both situations to help resolve any problems on the base. Whether or not anyone would admit it, they all knew she was a big help when tempers flared (unless it was her own).

"That wasn't very nice, you know." Sky said, trying to soothe Blade's temper.

"Well if a firefighter can't do what's required of him, he can't be trusted to do his job." Blade said firmly.

"Come on, Blade." Sky shrugged. "Whatever Dusty's going through will clear up."

"I know." Blade said. "It's just….."

"Just what?" Sky asked.

Blade sighed. "It's just that I thought he got lost because of me. I thought that I should've been keeping a better eye on him. Then I find out he got separated from us because he froze up? That's not supposed to happen by now. I trained you both better than that. Or at least I hoped I had. I don't understand what could've happened."

"Just give Dusty time to cool off and calm down." Sky suggested. "He might talk to me tomorrow."

Blade nodded. "That'd be great, actually. He'll talk to you."

* * *

 _It was so dark. The only light that cast into the mine was that of the fire that raged at the entrance. The flames reached into the mine like the claws of a monster, scratching at the walls and trying to reach them._

 _Blade pushed him and Sky back, protecting them. But the claws of the fire managed to catch him, and burns shaped like scratch marks appeared on his side._

" _Blade! Stop! You're gonna kill yourself!"_

 _Maybe Blade didn't hear him. Maybe he ignored him. The monster continued to try and grab them, and with every swipe of his flaming claws a new burn appeared on the fire chief._

 _Then, a wall of fire shot into the mine, and he shut his eyes and braced for impact. He heard a scream, but it wasn't his own. When he opened his eyes, Blade was gone._

" _Blade! No. No, come back!"_

 _A snake-like tendril of fire came into the mine now, wrapping around Sky's waist and pulling her up._

" _No!" He grabbed her hand in his teeth, and she hooked her fingers on to keep her from getting dragged out._

" _Dusty, don't let go!" Sky screamed. "Help me!"_

 _He pulled, trying to keep the fire from getting her. But the fire pulled back with a fierce intensity, and he had to tighten his grip on her hand to the point where he almost broke her fingers. But Sky's hand suddenly slipped from his mouth, and she disappeared into the flames._

" _No! Sky! Sky, come back! NO!"_

* * *

Dusty's eyes shot open as he jerked awake. He gasped and panted, his eyes darting around. But he calmed down when he realized he was still in his hanger back at Piston Peak.

 _Just a dream. Just a dream._ He repeated. _Just a dream. Calm down, Dusty._

A knock at the door startled him. "Hey Dusty!" Sky called from the other side of the door. "You missed breakfast!"

"Aw great." Dusty muttered. He overslept, and now Sky would _definitely_ get suspicious. He quickly opened the hanger door and put on a somewhat forced smile. "Hey Sky! Yeah, sorry about that. Overslept."

"Clearly." Sky giggled. But she could see leftover terror in Dusty's eyes. _He must've had a nightmare._ "Did you sleep okay?"

"Oh yeah." Dusty said. "Pretty well."

"Good." Sky nodded, hiding the fact that she so did not believe him. "You sure you're not hurt after what happened yesterday?"

Dusty's smile faltered as he remembered yesterday's events. But they seemed to blur with his horrific nightmare. "I'm not hurt, Sky. Really."

"I'm not just talking physically." Sky said gently.

Dusty looked down, his smile gone. _Dang, she's good at reading people. Doesn't even need her powers for that._ Dusty noticed Sky coming forward with her hand outstretched, and he knew at once she wanted to look into his head and see his dreams. He recoiled, forcing Sky to stop.

"Dusty, you know there are people on this base you can talk to." Sky said. "You could even talk to Jammer if you wanted."

"There's nothing to talk about." Dusty said, trying to get a reassuring smile back on his lips.

"Really?" Sky raised an eyebrow. "Because yesterday you gave me a heart attack because I thought you were going to be killed. It's okay if—"

"I said it's nothing! Just drop it!" Dusty snapped. Sky reeled back a bit at his tone. Dusty's expression relaxed. "I'm sorry. There's just nothing to talk about."

Sky looked down. "I don't believe you."

Dusty didn't respond. Sky turned on her heel and walked off, her hands in her pockets. Dusty sighed, moving out and rolling around the base. He still couldn't fly anywhere, and he began to wonder how he could get back to work without admitting why he acted like an idiot before. No good ideas came to mind, and he definitely didn't want to face Blade just yet.

Around lunchtime, the team got a call from Jammer. A camper had gone missing around the same time when the fires started yesterday, and the air attack team was needed to help with the search party. Blade ordered Windlifter and Dipper to take off and start searching the burn areas while Sky went with the Smokejumpers to meet up with Jammer and the rangers to help the ground crew. The fire chief cast a look to Dusty, but the plane refused to make eye contact with him. So Blade only took off without another word.

Dusty watched everyone go, and he longed to join them. _Why did I have to freeze up like that? Why did any of that have to happen?_ He sighed softly, making his way to Maru's shop. The tug wasn't there because he was over at Cabbie's hanger giving the warplane's propellers a tune-up. Dusty looked around the shop for a moment before his eyes settled on The Wall. He rolled up and parked right in front of it, staring at the pictures of firefighters passed. As he scanned each picture, he came to the covered right-hand corner of The Wall where Nick Loopin' Lopez's picture rested. Dusty looked around, making sure nobody was nearby, and carefully moved the boxes that covered Nick's picture. He stared at the deceased helicopter's image, and he caught sight of something else: a cover of a magazine depicting Blade and Nick on the _"CHoPs"_ set. Dusty found himself staring at Blade. But instead of seeing the navy blue and white paintjob, he kept seeing the red and white of the fire chief he knew.

" _Blade is down. I repeat, Blade is down!"_

Dusty shut his eyes for a moment, desperately willing the pain to go away. He quickly covered Nick's picture and the magazine cover. He sighed heavily, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Somethin' on your mind?"

Dusty jumped and spun around to the entrance of the garage, seeing Maru there. "Oh! Uh, no."

Maru scoffed, driving into the garage and going to his workbench. "Liar."

Dusty rolled his eyes. "You and Sky both. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you're hurting and it's my job to make you better." Maru said. "So what'll it be? The wrench to the head or a casual talk?"

Dusty raised an eye frame. " _Those_ are my options?"

"Wrench it is!" Maru announced, reaching for a hefty wrench nearby.

"Hey whoa!" Dusty yelped. "I'll take the talk!"

Maru smirked, but his eyes held complete seriousness. "Then start talking, Dusty. Blade and Sky told me about how you froze up during the fire. Sky even asked me, _me_ of all people, to talk to you. What happened out there?"

Dusty looked down. Though he didn't want to, he found himself flashing back to the events of the cave yesterday. How he froze up like an idiot and Blade and Sky had to come out in the middle of an inferno to help him. How they managed to get into the cave and the fire tried to come in and reach them. How Blade moved in front of him and Sky…again…and he could've…..

"He could've died." Dusty whispered.

Maru's gaze softened to one of slight confusion. "What? Who?"

"Blade." Dusty murmured, not looking to Maru. "It was my fault. I was the one who got us grounded in the middle of a fire. He didn't have to protect me. He could've just left. Why didn't he leave?" He sighed angrily. "But no, that would've been too simple. He just _had_ to protect me and Sky. I didn't ask him to put himself in danger just to help me. I didn't ask him to die because of my mistake!" Dusty swallowed, fighting back his angry tears. _I will not cry. Not in front of Maru of all people._

Maru's eyes were soft with sympathy. "Dusty, you're talking about what happened in the mine, aren't you?" Dusty only nodded in response. "That wasn't your fault—"

"That's just it! It _was_ my fault!" Dusty snapped. "I was such an idiot! I couldn't listen to the simplest of orders. If I had just done what Blade told me, we wouldn't have ended up grounded and he wouldn't have gotten hurt!" He glared at Maru. "He almost died that day because of me."

"No. He didn't." Maru insisted firmly. "You know why he got hurt? Because he was just doing his job. Look, everyone on this base, including you and Sky, are firefighters. You risk life and limb to protect people and make sure they escape a fire unharmed. But Blade? His job is a hundred times harder. He's the chief; it's his job to make sure his _team_ makes it out of every fire and can go home to their families."

"Well what about him?" Dusty demanded. "Doesn't he deserve to come home alive after every fire? Doesn't he have a family waiting for him? I didn't ask him to—"

"You never _had_ to ask him to protect you. It's just his job." Maru said. "And as for Blade's family, I'm not entirely convinced he has one. He's never mentioned a family outside of us." Maru's tone softened. "Now, what you witnessed back in that mine was just the price Blade had to pay to keep his team safe. It's the responsibility of a chief to do what's necessary to protect his team, and that's something that Blade accepted when the chief before him passed down the role. And even after witnessing that, after seeing the worst a fire can do to a firefighter, you still stuck with it! I've seen guys who witnessed a lot less than that and completely chickened out. As for whose fault it is, well the fault isn't on anyone." Dusty opened his mouth to protest, but Maru interrupted him sternly. "And don't go tryin' to blame yourself. Let's say you did everything Blade said. What if you still ended up grounded? Well, Blade would've done everything he could to make sure you got out safe. And what about what happened yesterday? That wasn't anyone's fault. It's just a curveball thrown at us during a firefight. It's something we have to deal with when we fight fires. One of the best lessons a firefighter can learn is how to be flexible, so that you can deal with situations like that. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Dusty didn't speak for a moment. He sighed. "I just….I felt so terrible…if he had died…I never would've forgiven myself…"

"Hey, come on. It's like you doubt my abilities as a mechanic." Maru scoffed. "Look, do you see Blade's picture _anywhere_ on The Wall?"

Dusty glanced to said memorial. "Next to Nick's. On the magazine cover." He cracked a smile.

Maru rolled his eyes and laughed. "His sense of humor has returned! Praise Chrysler!" He still chuckled, relieved to see a small smile appearing on Dusty's lips. "Do you feel a little better now?"

"Yeah." Dusty sighed. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, Maru."

"No problem." Maru said. "Just do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"Talk to Blade when you get the chance. He'll never show it, but he's been real worried about you."

Dusty nodded. "Yeah. I can do that." He turned and rolled from the garage, in a little bit of a better mood than before.

He never noticed Sky peering out from around the side of the garage, having sat under a window and listened in on the entire conversation. She stared sadly after Dusty. _I knew he felt bad before, but I never knew he was so scarred by what happened._ She sighed softly, her eyes settling in a soft, determined glare. _But now I know what to do to help._

* * *

Blade tended to do a quick round about the base before going out to his perch to look out for fires. He did this for two reasons:

One, he liked to make sure everything was in order at the end of the day.

Two, you never know what the Smokejumpers might be up to.

As he did his rounds, Blade caught sight of Dusty aimlessly rolling about the area. He paused, staring at the small plane. Earlier, when he and the others returned from a successful search and rescue operation, Sky pulled Blade aside and shared with him her memory of listening in on Dusty and Maru's conversation. Now that Blade fully understood what really went through Dusty's mind, he could only feel pity. Blade started towards Maru's shop, wanting to check in with the base's mechanic since Maru tended to do most of the paperwork. Dusty passed him, but kept his gaze averted.

Blade paused. "Hey Champ."

Dusty stopped, turning as Blade also turned around to face him. "Yes, Chief?" He hoped he didn't do something wrong again. Or maybe Blade was still angry about him freezing up.

Blade glared at Dusty. "What happened back at that mine and the cave was my own choice. Whatever consequences that come with those choices, I will accept. But don't you _ever_ blame yourself for those consequences. Got me?"

Dusty blinked in surprise, wondering if Maru talked with Blade after talking with him. Dusty glanced briefly to Blade's side, where he was burned back in the mine, but one of the benefits of vehicles is the lack of scarring. There was no scar or any sign of a wound, and Dusty knew he'd have to accept that his friends, his fellow firefighters, could get injured on the job. He was one of them, after all.

Blade's glare deepened. "Got me?"

Dusty hardened his gaze and nodded. "Yes sir."

Blade analyzed Dusty's gaze. He no longer looked afraid or guilt-ridden. A good sign, and maybe this time he'd stay that way. Blade smirked a little as he rolled off. "Rookie."

Dusty blinked, confused. He watched Blade go, wondering if he was forgiven yet.

* * *

Several days passed, full of peace and quiet. During fire season, these were days the team savored, yet they remained alert for the sound of the siren.

Today was one of those peaceful days. Dusty and Sky chatted about a race happening in October, when fire season would hopefully be over. Maru tinkered with something in his shop, keeping an eye out for the Smokejumper boys in case they tried anything funny. Said boys did tricks off their favorite dirt ramp. Dipper, Dynamite, and Pinecone played cards in the main hanger. Cabbie listened to a soccer match on his radio. Windlifter lifted logs, the echoing _THUD_ seeming to be in perfect rhythm with Patch's records playing over the speakers. Blade went out for spot fire scouting, but came back without any word on potential fires.

Then, the siren sounded.

" _All aircraft and jumpers, we got a report of a wildfire on the west end of the lake."_ Patch called over the speakers.

"Let's load up!" Blade barked, spurring everyone into action. Sky ran off to Maru's garage, where she kept her fire extinguisher and harness. Dusty stayed out of the way, watching with envy as the rest of the team started preparing to head out into the fire.

 _Stay safe, guys._ Dusty sighed softly.

"Champ!"

Dusty nearly jumped out of his paintjob, looking over to Blade. The helicopter hovered above the runway, waiting for Sky to jump into his hoist hatch.

Blade gave his usual stern glare, but he felt a smirk tugging at his lips. "Come on! Let's load and go!"

Dusty smiled broadly. "Yes Chief!" He hurried over to the retardant hoses so Maru could load up his pontoons. Then he got in line behind Dipper, taking off with her, Cabbie, and Windlifter. The firefighters flew off, ready to do their job again.

Dusty sighed happily as they flew. _This is the life of a firefighter. I think I can live with that._

* * *

 **A/N: The inspiration behind this one came from a thought I had: did Dusty come out of that experience in the mine with some trauma? I figured yes, especially after how guilty he looked after Blade crashed. And thus, this oneshot was born! Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review if you like!**


	17. Nightmares

**Nightmares**

It seemed like a normal day. At least Sky thought so as she ate her Lucky Charms at the kitchen table. Her mother stood at the counter across the room, preparing lunch for her and her father. Sky's mother had fair skin, honey blonde hair, and sapphire blue eyes. Being a stay-at-home mom, she tended to wear simple clothes like the ones she had on this morning: gray sweatpants, a red T-shirt, and a simple white apron. If Sky remembered correctly, her mother liked to volunteer at a cooking class while she was at school.

"Honey! I got your lunch!" Sky's mother called.

"Right on schedule, as usual." Sky's father said as he came into the kitchen. He adjusted his watch on his wrist before taking his lunch, kissing his wife's cheek. Sky's father always kept his raven black hair in a crisp buzz cut. He also had a thick mustache that he kept neatly trimmed. His eyes were a dark shade of hazel. He wore gray dress pants, a white dress shirt, black loafers, and a blue tie. Sky watched as her father began walking towards the front door, ready to go to work as a manager for some company. She never could remember the name of the company, and she only asked once.

"Bye Daddy!" Sky called.

Sky's father paused as he grabbed his jacket and briefcase. But he didn't turn around to her. In fact, he shook off the tension he suddenly felt and continued out the door.

Sky shrugged and finished her cereal, handing the bowl to her mother to clean. Then she hurried upstairs to brush her teeth. After that, she stared in the mirror and went through her mental checklist.

Clean, fair skin she inherited from her mother. Check.

Raven black hair she inherited from her father, kept in place with a red bandana. Check.

Blue-green eyes she inherited from her grandfather. Check.

Psyche human birthmark. Check.

A white blouse with short sleeves under a red thin-strapped, knee-length dress. Check.

A pair of white socks. Check.

Her favorite red-and-white sneakers that were a tad too big yet she didn't care. Check.

Sky nodded in satisfaction and hopped downstairs to meet her mother by the front door. Her mother handed Sky her lunch box and backpack, and they walked off to kindergarten.

"Bye Mommy!" Sky waved from the front door of the school. "Love you!"

Oddly enough, her mother didn't wave back and say "Love you too!" She only cast Sky a glance and a smile before walking off. Sky shrugged it off, skipping happily to class. Her mother was probably busy today. Sky waved to her classmates, who waved back cheerily. She hurriedly sat down at her desk, ready for a new day of learning that would give way to a wonderful afternoon/evening at home with her parents.

 _Just gotta 'member._ Sky thought to herself as the teacher began the class. _No psych powers._

School went by, as it usually did. Sky answered questions correctly, ate her lunch, and played with her classmates on the playground at recess. When the bell finally rang to announce the school day was over, Sky hurriedly packed her backpack and skipped off to meet one of her parents outside the school. Maybe her father would be able to pick her up today. Sometimes he got off work early and could come get her. But Sky was surprised to find many parents, yet none of them looked like her parents. So she began looking around, wondering if her mother or father ran late picking her up. She decided to wait on the bench outside the school's front doors, knowing her parents would arrive soon.

The minutes passed. One by one, the rest of the children met up with their parents and departed for home. Sky wasn't afraid. She had confidence someone would come for her soon.

Half an hour later, a taxi cab pulled up in front of the school and let out his passenger: a Hispanic woman with tan skin, dark brown hair pulled into a messy bun, and warm cocoa brown eyes. She wore jeans, gray and red sneakers, and a metallic gray knit sweater. She nodded to Sky as she passed her, walking right into the school at quite the hurried pace. Sky waved a little and resumed waiting for her parents.

A few minutes later, the Hispanic woman returned with the principal. They walked up to Sky, and the little girl became rather confused. _Did I get in trouble?_

"Hello Skylar." The principal greeted with a gentle smile. "You're going home with this woman."

Sky looked to the Hispanic woman. Once again, she became confused. But she trusted the principal, so if the principal trusted this woman then Sky knew she could too.

The Hispanic woman knelt down to Sky's eye level, a kind grin on her lips. "Hello. My name is Rosa Lopez."

"Hi." Sky greeted. "I'm Skylar."

"It's very nice to meet you, Skylar." Rosa said, taking Sky's hand and leading her to the taxi. Sky hopped in, putting on her seatbelt as Rosa did. "Back to the Lopez Foster House, please." Rosa requested.

" _Can do."_ The taxi said over his radio, driving off.

Sky stared out the window, as she always liked to do during the few times she rode in a taxi. "So where's my mommy and daddy?"

Rosa sighed, subtly wringing her hands. "I'll explain at the house, sweetheart."

Sky shrugged, still staring out the window. _I bet this is a friend of Mommy's. I'll see Mommy and Daddy soon._

* * *

 _Mommy! Daddy! Come back! COME BACK!_

Sky bolted upright with a gasp, her eyes wild and her breathing labored. Her chest heaved and she wheezed, but she fought to keep calm so she wouldn't wake anyone. Then again, she had this entire room to herself. Rosa wouldn't hear her, and neither would the orphans (even the ones living next door to her). Sky swallowed hard, her breathing beginning to steady.

It was another nightmare. Another one about her parents abandoning her. Even three years after that fateful day, she found the pain had yet to lessen. If anything, every day she spent in the orphanage made the pain worse. She still didn't understand why her parents would do that to her. All because she was a psyche human and they weren't. Were they jealous or something?

Thinking about it only made the pain strike back with a vengeance, choking Sky with tears. The fear from her nightmare returned, and she began to tremble. Her mother or father used to help scare away the bad dreams, but not anymore.

She had no one.

So Sky grabbed her pillow and pulled her blanket up over her head to cover her entire body. She pulled her pillow into a bear hug, curling up around it and even biting into the cloth of the pillowcase. Her sobs became muffled, her tears soaked into the pillow and the sheets.

She cried herself to sleep yet again.

* * *

 _Mommy! Daddy! Come back! COME BACK!_

Sky bolted upright with a gasp, her eyes wild and her breathing labored. Her chest heaved and she wheezed, but she fought to keep calm so she wouldn't wake anyone.

"Sky?"

Too late.

Sky looked over to see Sparky had pulled back the curtain that separated her room from the rest of the hanger. Sparky and Skipper stared at Sky worriedly, having heard the fearful tone while she sleep-talked.

"You okay, kiddo?" Skipper asked, clearly concerned for his adoptive daughter.

Sky stared at her comforter, fighting tears. "J-just….a nightmare."

Skipper offered a smile. "Well, you're okay now. You know we're right here for you."

Sky looked towards Sparky and Skipper, and she crawled out of her bed. She came over and stood by Skipper, resting her head against his wing. She let her tears come, the wetness streaming down her cheeks as she let out her fear. Skipper nuzzled the girl lovingly. Sparky patted her on the back and gave the girl a hug. Then he gently lifted her up to Skipper's wing, and Sky hurried to Skipper's cockpit to give him a hug. Skipper shushed her gently, both he and Sparky speaking comforting words. It only took a few minutes of this before Sky found her tears stopped. Sparky helped her down and tucked her into bed once more.

"Goodnight, Skylar Amelia." Skipper said.

"Goodnight, Soarin' Sky." Sparky said, parked back at the curtain and preparing to pulled it back into place. "We love you."

Sky smiled warmly, nestled back into the warmth of her bed. "Goodnight Sparky. Goodnight Dad. I love you too."


	18. Adventures in London

**Adventures in London**

Harley never did much traveling as a child, unless it was a trip around the desert that surrounded Radiator Springs. After joining Lightning McQueen's pit crew, she found herself riding with Mack to several cities across the United States of America. Then she got to travel the world for the World Grand Prix mission. The marvel of all these different places made Harley smile like a Cheshire Cat, and she never got tired of traveling to a new place.

Like now, when she rode in Siddeley with Finn to visit London. Though she had been there before, she never got to do much sightseeing between saving Finn and Holley from Big Bentley and getting knighted by the Queen herself. Finn's gift for Harley's eighteenth birthday was a personal tour of his hometown, and Harley couldn't stop bouncing in her seat as she glued her face to the window. Finn managed to convince her to sleep most of the way for the overnight flight, but when Siddeley announced they were getting close Harley jumped up to the window and plastered her face to the glass.

"I do hope you like it, Harley." Finn said. "There's plenty of tourist spots, which we will pass by. But I'd love to show you Primrose Hill and some of the other smaller districts where I grew up. I think you'll like them. There are also some shops around if you like. I know you aren't much of a city person, but just stay with me and we won't get lost."

Harley giggled as she looked to him. "If I didn't know any better, Finn McMissile, I'd say you were nervous."

"What?" Finn smirked playfully. "Me? Never."

Harley laughed, readjusting her glasses. "Finn, I'm sure I'll love it." Finn nodded, seeming reassured. Harley glanced down to her ankle, where her psyche human birthmark rested. If she and Finn didn't already have a strong friendship, it definitely became solidified when they found out about the Soul Connection between them. Harley loved Finn, and she knew he loved her too. That's how she knew this trip was so important to Finn. It was his chance to show off his hometown, something very important to him.

She couldn't wait.

Siddeley finally landed in a remote space outside of London so to not draw attention to himself. Finn and Harley exited the jet with the promise to be back later that evening. Finn led the way, down a back country road and into the city of London. Harley stuck right by Finn's side, often holding onto him to keep up as he drove through the streets.

Finn didn't hesitate in his tour. A couple of their first stops included Big Bentley, St. Paul's Cathedral, and several other London monuments and skyscrapers. Harley had her camera out for the entire drive, taking several pictures she knew she'd have to show everyone back home. After the touristy sites and brunch at a nice café, Finn took Harley up to Primrose Hill. The park area offered a wonderful view of the London skyline, and Harley insisted they take some time to relax under the shade of a tree.

After that was a trip to Forest Hill, where Finn grew up as a child before going to the C.H.R.O.M.E. Academy. To Finn's amusement, Harley became especially giddy to see where Finn used to live as a boy. This, of course, led into a conversation about what life was like for Finn, and he began describing how he'd park on the roof of his home just to stare at the stars or pretend to be a spy in his own backyard. Finn had a couple friends on the neighborhood block, but he mostly kept to himself.

Soon, Finn announced it was almost tea time. Harley became somewhat confused at this. "There's a specific time for tea in London?"

"There's a specific time for tea in Ireland, too." Finn confirmed, leading Harley into downtown London. "Afternoon tea is a tradition that reaches back to the 1800s."

"Cool!" Harley breathed. "But then why are we going to a hotel?"

"We're going to the café attached to the hotel." Finn explained. "My mother used to take me and my younger sister down here every weekend for tea."

"Really?" Harley perked up, this being one of the few times Finn actually talked about his family. "What was it like?"

"Quaint." Finn said. "My mother and father were generally busy running the shop, so my mother would take us down here on her day off and we'd talk about how the week went."

"You didn't spend much time together?" Harley asked.

"We did." Finn assured. "But most of that time was spent in the shop."

Harley bobbed her head in understanding, and allowed Finn to lead her into the café. Thinking ahead, Finn managed to get a reservation and he and Harley sat at a table near the window. Harley noticed a couple people already in the café stared at her.

"Uh, Finn?" Harley whispered. "Why are people staring at me?"

"This is a bit of a high-class place, Harley." Finn whispered back with a wink. "Not many people come in here with stripes in their hair."

Harley put a hand to her head, realizing she practically screamed "American Lady" with the cobalt blue streaks in her brunette hair. "Oh. Right."

Finn only chuckled quietly, so Harley let it go. The waiter brought over two cups, saucers, and spoons, two ornately decorated pots of tea, and a three-tier tray of tiny pastries. Harley immediately (and as politely as she could) grabbed several of the pastries to put on her plate, and she poured herself some tea. Finn chuckled softly, filling his own cup and silently inhaling the scent of the tea. _Well this certainly brings back memories._ He thought, adding some milk to cool his drink down.

Harley discovered a couple things just in the first few minutes of their stay. For one, the tea was _way_ too hot to drink immediately. So she dug into the pastries. Some of them were soft biscuits with a dollop of jam, which Harley found surprisingly good. Then she discovered tiny chocolate and vanilla cakes with thin layers of icing. One in particular caught her eye: a square-shaped cake, with the chocolate and vanilla pieces cubed and arranged like a checkerboard, with a layer of pink icing around it. Finn called the icing "marzipan," describing it as a "fancy frosting used on fancy desserts." Harley giggled at the description, but when she tried it she found it tasted pretty good. Finn had to swipe a couple of the pastries for himself before Harley finished them all.

By then, Harley guessed her tea would be ready to drink. She took a sip…and immediately her face scrunched up in disgust. It took all her willpower to not spit it out again. The tea was much too bitter. Harley had tea before, but that was the sweet, peach iced tea Flo had in her café. Harley tried adding ice cubes from her glass of water, careful to not overflow her cup. But she had to dump some of the tea back into the pot, put several ice cubes in her cup, and pour a new cup of tea over the top of them. It seemed to work, but now Harley just had a cup of cold bitter tea. Harley glanced over to Finn, who sipped his tea without any problem. She remembered how he put some milk in his drink, but the idea of milky tea didn't appeal to Harley. Then she noticed a bowl full of sugar cubes on the table, and she used the tiny pair of metal tongs to put a couple cubes in the tea. A little better, but the bitter taste of the tea still bothered her. So Harley took a small handful of the cubes and plopped them into her cup. She took her spoon and stirred furiously, biting her tongue in concentration as she watched the sugar dissolve in her drink. Her spoon made clinking noises every time she hit it against the inside of her cup.

"Harley." Finn piped up. Harley paused in her stirring and glanced to him. He had a kind smile on his lips. "A little quieter, please."

Harley shrunk down a little in sheepishness. "Oh. Sorry." She resumed stirring, careful to not hit her spoon against the inside of her cup. When she finished, she took a sip. Now her tea tasted like sugar water with an itsy bitsy tea taste, but she could finally gulp it down. She sighed, happy at last.

What Finn said to her caught up to Harley, and she suddenly realized she probably broke every rule of tea etiquette in the book. She looked around the café, and she finally noticed a couple other patrons glancing her way and whispering to each other. _Oh dear Chrysler. What did I do?_ Harley straightened up in her seat, her cheeks burning and turning red. _Stupid, Harley, stupid! I can't believe what an idiot I am! I just embarrassed myself in front of Finn. Oh great, what if I embarrassed Finn too?_ But when Harley looked up, Finn was contently reading a book he picked up from a bookshelf nearby. He didn't seem to notice Harley's behavior, or maybe he was just hiding how mortified he was by what she did.

 _I'm sorry, Finn._ Harley thought, ashamed. _That was so stupid of me._ She quietly and slowly poured herself another cup of tea, and she took a sip. The bitter taste made her want to gag, but she could at least pretend to drink the tea until it was time to go.

As Finn led the way, he noticed Harley became rather quiet. Her Cheshire Cat smile disappeared, and she kept staring at the ground. "Are you all right?"

Harley perked up, and she put on a smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. That tea was really good. Thanks."

Finn could tell she was lying. But he smiled. "You're welcome." _I hope she wasn't too disappointed. I thought she was having a good time._ "Well, I figured you'd like to visit some of the shops around here, so we're going to a place called the West End."

"Sounds fun." Harley said honestly. When they finally arrived in the West End, Harley started enjoying herself again and she almost forgot about the tea incident. Finn opted out of going into very many of the shops, and Harley found a Big Bentley snow globe and a cream-colored knit sweater that had a Union Jack on the back. She was careful, though, to make sure she didn't completely stick out like a sore thumb amongst the other Londoners doing their shopping.

But she still felt very much like an outcast, like she didn't belong amongst the natives. It was rather unsettling. When she traveled with Lightning to races around the U.S.A., she was shy but knew that she had friends nearby. Her only friend here was Finn. Travelling to Japan for the World Grand Prix, Harley was able to impress the native Japanese people with her rough yet understandable language skills. In Paris, she just had to visit the black market and meet Tomber; and in Porto Corsa, she and Mater were undercover. Now, she was in London in a seemingly casual setting. But it seemed that she couldn't do something as simple as shopping without feeling like everyone judged her. She put on a brave face, though.

 _This is for Finn._ Harley reminded herself as she half-listened to Finn describe the history of Tyre Bridge to her. _He was so excited to show this to me. Even if I get uncomfortable, I have to put on a smile for his sake._

"I have a favor to ask of you, Harley." Finn said as they drove through an area full of smaller, more local shops.

"Anything for you, Finn. What do you need?" Harley asked.

"I need you to run into the next store we're going to and get some elderflower chamomile tea." Finn instructed. "I'll give you some money for it."

"Okay." Harley nodded, wondering what on earth elderflower chamomile must taste like. "But why aren't you getting it yourself?"

"You'll see when we get there." Finn said enigmatically. Harley stared at him, but shrugged. She would do anything for Finn, of course. A simple trip into a supermarket would be no problem. But when Finn stopped and announced they had arrived, Harley finally understood why Finn didn't want to go in.

They stood in front of a shop with a sign that read "McMissile Teas and Kettles."

"Here." Finn handed her some money. "Just get a box of the tea. Remember: elderflower chamomile. And get something for yourself."

"Kay." Harley said, skating into the shop. For a moment, she felt like she was on a mission with Finn and entering enemy territory. After all, this was Finn's family's tea shop, and Finn's parents didn't take it well when he ran away to join the C.H.R.O.M.E. Academy. But Harley forced herself to relax as she searched for the tea Finn requested. The store itself had a homey feeling: walls painted the color of green tea, shelves and tables organized and covered with boxes of tea and different tea tools, and soft lighting from the chandeliers on the ceiling. Classical music played from speakers. Harley looked all around, muttering "elderflower chamomile" under her breath. She saw many things. There were a wide variety of teapots and kettles, ceramic and iron, and decorated in a much wider variety of designs. There were teapots and kettles for loose leaf tea, and tea infusers in interesting shapes like dinosaurs and old car models. There were cups, saucers, and spoons to match the pots. Even whole tea sets were sold. Harley found two walls covered top to bottom in different types of tea, but she couldn't find elderflower chamomile anywhere. She also didn't see any she would want to drink.

 _Oh this is getting me nowhere._ Harley sighed, skating towards the front counter. _Finn's waiting for me._ Harley found a dark pink Corvette helping another customer and another car wrapping up a gift bag. The second car was forget-me-not blue and had pretty emerald green eyes. She looked like a mix between an Aston Martin and a BMW. When she noticed Harley shyly coming up, the car put on a warm smile.

"Hello there." The car greeted in her cheery British accent. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so." Harley said. "I'm looking for elderflower chamomile tea."

"Oh of course!" the car nodded, driving around and leading Harley back towards the teas. "Sorry about that. It's always so difficult to find."

"Is it not that popular?" Harley asked.

"I wouldn't call it unpopular, but it's not our bestseller." The car explain, finding a box and handing it to Harley. "But it's a classic. If you don't mind me asking, you're not from around here, are you?"

"Is the accent that obvious?" Harley chuckled nervously.

"That and the hair." The car giggled. "You don't see many human Londoners with hair like yours."

"Yeah." Harley shrugged. "It's just my thing."

"Well I certainly can respect that." The car said. "You live here in London?"

"No, I'm visiting with a friend." Harley said. "He told me to find this tea and get something for myself, but I don't know if I'll find anything."

"You don't drink tea in the States?"

"I drink sweet iced tea."

The car nodded, and she looked through the shelves before taking down another box of tea and handing it to Harley. "Try this, then. It's a fruit-flavored green tea that tastes quite good when chilled."

"Really?" Harley stared at the box in amazement. "Cool! Thanks!"

"Not at all!" the car chirped. "Come along. I'll ring you up."

"Thanks." Harley said again. "I'm Harley, by the way. Harley Hudson."

The car gasped. "Not _the_ Harley Hudson? Daughter of the Hudson Hornet and crew chief for Lightning McQueen?"

"You've heard of me?" Harley asked, mildly surprised.

"The Hudson Hornet was very popular here in London back in the day." The car said. "Everyone is so happy you're able to carry on his legacy."

Harley smiled warmly. "Thanks. It's nice to know people still respect my dad like that. What's your name?"

"I'm Annabelle. Ann for short. Annabelle McMissile." The car introduced.

Harley froze as she was handing the car money to pay for the tea. "McMissile? As in…?"

Ann laughed. "Yes. My parents own this shop. I'm set to take over when they pass it on to me someday."

"Wow. Cool." Harley breathed. _I don't believe it! This must be Finn's little sister! She's so nice. I wonder if she remembers him. But would Finn like it if I brought it up?_ "So, uh….."

Ann looked up from bagging the tea. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering….." Harley struggled to find her words as she took the bag and her change. "…..is it just you and your parents that run the shop? No siblings?" She cast a glance to the Corvette, as though assuming the other car Ann's sister to cover up her true question.

"Just me and my parents." Ann confirmed. "Although I did have a brother once."

Harley perked up. "A brother? Wait, what do you mean 'once'?"

"Well, he sort of left one day and I don't get to see him very often." Ann said, albeit sadly. "In fact, I haven't seen him in a very long time. But I'm sure he'll come back when he gets the chance. Would you like to see a photo of him?"

"Sure!" Harley nodded.

"I know I should be working, but I just love showing people my family." Ann said, rummaging around behind the desk. "Besides, it's not that busy. Now where is it….aha! Here we are!" Ann pushed a picture forward on the desk. "See? That's me as a child. And the lighter blue bloke next to me is my brother, Finn."

Harley looked at the picture, and she smiled at the sight of two young cars playing in a backyard. One of them was clearly Ann, still in the forget-me-not blue paintjob. Finn's paintjob didn't have the silvery tone of his current one and he hadn't quite grown into his grill plate mustache, but Harley could tell just by the eyes that it truly was her Soul Connect partner as a child. He and Ann looked very happy, and Harley felt a pang in her heart. Even if Finn's parents didn't like him, he clearly shared a strong bond with his baby sister. Leaving her must've been hard for him.

"So what happened to him?" Harley asked as Ann put the photo away.

"I don't know." Ann admitted. "He just left. My parents don't tell me anything, of course. But he visits me every couple years or so."

Harley was shocked, even when she tried to hide it. _Every couple years? How can she be okay with that? What about spending Christmases together as a family? What about family vacations? He's gotta go back more often than a couple years or more._

"What the hell are you doing here you slagging munter?!"

Ann and Harley jumped, them and everyone else in the store turning to the front door. "Father?" Ann murmured, her and Harley joining the people investigating the shout. Outside the shop, Finn faced another Aston Martin who looked remarkably like him, only with his fenders flatter and his rearview mirrors next to his eyes like normal cars. The second Aston Martin was also dark green in color with whitewall tires. His bright blue eyes were settled into a fierce glare that he locked onto Finn.

"I'm sorry, is this not a public space?" Finn retorted.

"You are not welcome here." The green Aston Martin growled.

"It's not like I'm actually going into the shop." Finn said.

"You're close enough!" the green car snapped.

Finn sighed. "Oh Edward McMissile. It seems your temper has yet to be reined in."

"Oh dear." Ann murmured. "Doesn't he know he's just going to make Father angrier?"

 _I was right._ Harley thought. _That really must be Finn's dad._

Edward McMissile's glare became so deep his eyes almost closed. "I thought I told you the last time you came here that I never wanted to see you again. One would think that my warning would've been enough to keep you away."

"Warning?" Finn scoffed. "You mean your threat? The violent, intentional threat you made against your own son?"

Edward's engine revved in anger. "You are _not_ my son. Not anymore."

"You can disown me, push me out of your life, you can even kill me if you wanted to." Finn said, his tone calm. "But you can't take away the fact that the oil in me is the same as the oil in you."

Finn knew he won that argument as he saw the anger in Edward's eyes increase (if it could by then). But the green Aston Martin growled. "Get out. Right now!"

"I'm waiting for a friend." Finn replied simply.

"You can wait for him around the corner." Edward growled.

" _She_ is actually not from around here." Finn countered, keeping his tone calm as ever despite the anger bubbling up inside him. "I would hate for her to get lost."

Edward growled again. Ann tensed up. "Oh dear…."

"You have all of ten seconds to get out of here." Edward warned.

Finn narrowed his eyes a little. "Or what?" He asked boldly.

Edward continued to glare, and he suddenly reversed and parked several feet away. He revved his engine loudly, trying to be intimidating. Ann, the Corvette, and many of the shop patrons jumped or gasped, but Finn remained resolute. He was Finn McMissile, after all. He had faced much worse than a furious father.

"Ten." Edward called over the rev of his engine, beginning the countdown. Everyone held their breaths, waiting for the next move. It was one of the longest ten seconds of Harley's life, waiting for Finn to make a move. Would he leave? Fight back? Just take the hit? What would _Edward_ do?

Suddenly, Edward gunned forward and headed straight for Finn, intending to ram him.

Finn didn't even flinch, preparing to jump out of the way at the last second.

"No don't!" Harley suddenly shouted, leaping between Finn and Edward. She held her palms out, but Edward would never be able to slam his brakes in time.

He didn't have to. For a brief moment, a blue-green, translucent bubble appeared around Harley and Finn, and Edward crashed into that instead. Harley stared at her hands, her eyes wide. _Was that a new psych-man power?_ She wondered.

Edward growled in pain and frustration. He glared at Harley. "What breed of idiot are you that you would jump in front of a moving car?"

Harley glared at Edward. "Well what breed of idiot are _you_ to attack your own son?"

"That pathetic pile of scrap metal is not my son." Edward scoffed.

"I'm sure you wish that." Harley huffed. "I wish that too. Because you don't deserve a son like him. He has ten times the engine you could ever hope to have!"

Edward's anger flared again. "Why you little—"

"Harley." Finn piped up, his tone firm. "Come along now." He began driving off, gently herding Harley away from the store. Harley followed faithfully, still glaring. They continued down the street, silent the entire time until Finn pointed out where they were going to have dinner. They entered the Italian restaurant and sat down, looking over the menus. Silence returned for a long time.

"I wish you weren't his son." Harley finally said. "You're too good for him."

"He's my father, not my beau." Finn said, not looking up from his menu.

"My point still stands." Harley said firmly. "You're the great Finn McMissile. You've done so many amazing things. He should be immensely proud to call you his son."

Finn scoffed softly. "You hold me in too high regard."

Harley frowned at Finn. "Or maybe you don't hold yourself in high enough regard."

Finn finally looked to her, taking a minute to register what she said. "Harley, what happened with my family is in the past. I do not regret the choices I made with my life, even if they force me away from my family."

Harley's face and posture relaxed in defeat. "Okay…"

Silence returned. Harley and Finn ordered their food, waited for it to come, and started eating, but still didn't speak for a long time.

Harley paused in the middle of twirling spaghetti onto her fork. "Finn, I have a confession to make."

Finn looked to her. "What's that?"

Harley sighed, slumping in her seat. "I appreciate that you took me to see your hometown. I love that I got to know you a little more based on where you grew up. But….I've just been feeling so out of place. Part of me wishes I hadn't come because I don't belong here."

"Harley, wherever I belong, you do too." Finn assured.

"Let's get real here, Finn." Harley sighed. "I'm a country girl from the deserts of Arizona. I put streaks in my hair. I go tractor-tipping with Mater. I don't belong in a city full of proper British people."

"Is that really what you think?" Finn asked. Harley nodded, and Finn smiled. "There's nothing wrong with being yourself. Not even in other countries. How do you think I feel when I'm in Radiator Springs?"

Harley looked up. "You never seem uncomfortable."

"It's not always uncomfortable, per say." Finn said. "But whenever I see your family all together, talking and laughing and simply being themselves, I can't help but feel I don't belong there. You think a 'country girl' doesn't belong in Britain, how do you think a British chap feels in your little town?"

Harley shrugged. "I guess I never thought about it much before. You always seem so content. I can never tell if something is bothering you unless we're alone together."

Finn chuckled. "Force of habit, I suppose. I'm most comfortable around you, after all."

Harley smiled now. "I'm comfortable around you too. Good thing, considering our connection." She looked to her ankle, where her psych-man tattoo rested.

"Indeed." Finn agreed. "How interesting that we seemed to discover another one of your powers."

"Yeah." Harley nodded. "Force fields. Kinda weird."

"I don't think so." Finn said. "Your birthmark has the wings and snakes, the symbol for medicine. That's where your healing abilities come from."

"But the sword? I thought that meant a warrior." Harley said. "That's why I got paired with you."

Finn chuckled. "I supposed you could see spies as warriors. But it also could mean protection. You have a fierce devotion to the people you care about, and time and time again I have seen you do everything in your power to keep those people safe. It's an admirable quality."

Harley blushed a bit. "Thanks. But you have some of those qualities too. I'm only brave because you taught me."

"Well if you're so brave, why are you afraid to be yourself no matter where you go?" Finn asked. "Mater can do it. You shouldn't ever be scared of how people will judge you just for being yourself."

Harley's smile grew. "Thanks, Finn. Really."

Finn nodded. Then, he got an idea. "Finish your dinner. I have one last stop for us."

* * *

Harley had to sit on Finn's hood so she could keep her eyes closed, as instructed by the Aston Martin as he drove through the dark London streets. Finn looked all around, wondering where he could see it best. Finally spying a good spot, he parked next to a stone railway that overlooked the river. He looked around to make sure the lighting was just right. Twilight settled over London, turning the sky a mix of purples, pinks, and blues. The buildings began lighting up.

"Can I open my eyes yet?" Harley asked.

"Not yet." Finn said, gently depositing the girl onto the ground. "Turn a little to the left. No, back to the right. Stop! Now wait for it."

Harley giggled. "Can I open them now?"

"Just hold on." Finn said. There! "Okay. Open them."

Harley opened her eyes, and her jaw dropped in awe. She and Finn stood next to the river, and across the water they could see the Palace of Westminster and Big Bentley. The lights were on, and they lit up the palace and the clock tower beautifully. Lights around the base of Big Bentley's roof gave the tower a green ring. The lights reflected off the river's surface, only adding to the beauty. Finn smiled warmly, the lights from the palace reflected in Harley's eyes.

"Oh my gosh." Harley breathed. "It's beautiful."

Finn followed her gaze, the two of them staring at the palace and clock tower. "This is where I used to come to think. If I ever had a rotten day at school, or if I had a fight with someone, I loved to come here and think things through. It's…..meditative….."

"Not a bad place to hang out if you have something on your mind." Harley said. "And Big Bentley looks much prettier from this vantage point than it does when you're about to be crushed by gears."

Finn laughed, and Harley giggled. Finn felt his previously sour mood dissolve in that moment, and he knew it was because of Harley. The girl never let her family feel bad about themselves. She did what was best for them, and helped guide them down a path that could bring them happiness or allowed them to find something they needed.

"Thanks for showing me this, Finn." Harley sighed, leaning against the Aston Martin.

Finn leaned into her touch, sighing as well. _Thank_ you _, Harley, for always being such a good friend._

* * *

Siddeley picked them up in the same place where he dropped them off, and he flew them back towards Radiator Springs. Harley leaned the backrest of her chair as far back as it would go, making it flat so she could lay down and sleep. Finn did a little reading, casting glances to Harley now and then. After a while, Finn moved to grab a blanket, draping it over Harley.

" _How are you two doing?"_ Siddeley asked over the radio.

"Keep it down, Sid." Finn said in a hushed tone, moving away from Harley to not wake her. "Harley's asleep."

Siddeley chuckled softly. _"So much of that kid reminds me of Leland. Like right now. He used to fall asleep after missions all the time."_

"That's because he would be pulling all-nighters just to finish work faster." Finn chuckled.

" _Well, I'll sign off for now."_ Siddeley said. _"We're still several hours from Radiator Springs. Did you and Harley enjoy your day in London?"_

Finn smiled at Harley. "Yes. Yes, we did."

* * *

 **A/N: I'll not translate what Edward called Finn, but I will say it was awfully fun to look up British insults. :D**


	19. John and Paula

**A/N: Warning: this chapter contains disturbing images/themes that may unsettle some readers. Reader discretion is advised, and you are welcome to skip this chapter and go on to the next one.**

* * *

 **John and Paula**

"Come on, Paula. Just breathe."

" _Mantenere la calma."_

"Guido says to stay calm."

" _YOU TRY PUSHING A BABY OUT AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT STAYING CALM!"_

Luigi and Guido jumped, but Doc just rolled his eyes. "Luigi, why don't you wait outside with everyone else?" Doc suggested. "Guido can help me when the time comes."

"Okay!" Luigi hurried out before Paula could shout at him again. He found the rest of the townsfolk waiting outside the clinic, anxious for word on Paula's condition.

"Is she okay?" John demanded, his dark blue eyes settled into a glare.

"She is-a still in labor." Luigi said. "That is all I know."

John growled in frustration, running his fingers through his mop of mud-colored brown hair. "I still say we should've taken her to another clinic. A _human_ doctor should be delivering my child."

"John, Doc is the only doctor within a hundred miles, maybe more." Sheriff reasoned. "The longer Paula went without medical attention, the harder this would've been. Jus' be patient." John sighed, but didn't say another word.

Paula panted heavily, sweat dotted across her forehead until Guido could come up and place a cool rag on her tanned skin. Her light brunette hair had been pulled into a ponytail, but wisps of her hair came loose and some of it hung in her face. Her pretty hazel eyes held a mix of pain and gratefulness as Guido patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. She felt another contraction, and she grunted in pain.

"Easy, Paula, easy." Doc said soothingly.

"Ford in heaven I'm never having another child." Paula groaned.

Doc smirked. "Ya can't have another until you get this one out. Now focus on your breathing and I'll tell you when to push."

Paula nodded, closing her eyes and forcing herself to breathe somewhat normally. "Is everything going all right?"

"Doesn't look like it'll be a C-Section, if that's what you mean." Doc chuckled.

Paula chuckled softly. "Shut up, Doc."

The labor ended up lasting for another hour before Doc gave the word, and a couple painful pushes later Guido placed a wailing little baby on Doc's hood. Guido cut the umbilical cord and hurriedly ran to get a towel and a blanket. Paula thought she would pass out, but she kept unconsciousness at bay as Doc came around with a little yellow bundle on his hood.

"Well done, Paula." Doc said, allowing the woman to take her child. "You got yourself a healthy little girl."

Paula cradled her child in her arms, happy tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at the baby. This was her baby. It was her little girl. "Oh Doc. She's so beautiful."

"She'll take after her mother, I'm sure." Doc said. He dismissed Guido and drove to the front door of the clinic. "John? Mr. and Mrs. Davidson? Care to come with me?" The three humans followed Doc into the clinic and back towards the delivery room. Paula's parents came to one side of the bed and cooed softly at the sight of their new granddaughter. John came to the other side of the bed and took a look at his daughter. The tiny baby slept peacefully, swaddled in her blanket and close to the warmth of her mother. John smiled softly, carefully reaching out and caressing the baby's tiny head in his own lager hand.

Doc watched the scene with a smile. But he paid careful attention to John's reaction. The genuine smile on John's face made Doc relax ever so slightly, but he knew this was just the calm before a series of storms. John often had conversations with Paula about moving away from Radiator Springs, and it was a wonder Paula's patience hadn't run out. With the arrival of their daughter, Doc knew John would get a renewed vigor to fight for them leaving.

 _Please, boy._ Doc prayed. _Please just don't do anything foolish._

* * *

If Paula thought she was rather spoiled as a child, she certainly felt like a queen with everyone in town taking care of her. She tried to walk as much as she could, but if she didn't do it discretely enough then one of the residents would hurry over with a chair and insist that she sit down. Her baby bump became more and more pronounced, and Doc was happy to report that the child seemed to be developing healthily. It greatly pleased the soon-to-be parents, who spent their days redecorating the guest room of their house for the baby and thinking about names.

Of course, with the baby coming, John found a new reason to argue his position of leaving Radiator Springs.

"I'm just worried about the kid growing up in a town like this." John said as he fixed lunch for himself and Paula. "The only interaction he/she will get is going to be with the people who live here. Will that be enough?"

"I am confident in it." Paula said assuredly. "Besides, the townsfolk keep telling me how they can't wait for the baby to get here to they can help take care of him/her."

"And you're not at all worried that the kid will be deprived at all?" John asked.

"Not with this family." Paula assured. "He or she will have everything they could want and more." John seemed to accept this, or at least let it go for now.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Radiator Springs residents met at Flo's café to talk about the soon-to-be parents. Paula's parents were with Paula and John, helping care for their pregnant daughter. But the rest of the townsfolk noticed something a bit disturbing about John's behavior.

"He's gotten so temperamental lately." Sarge noted. "It's like every little thing makes him angry."

"Paula could do better." Lizzie admitted.

"He's been talking to her about moving again." Flo pointed out. "I'm startin' to wonder why the boy moved here if he don't like small towns."

"He was in love with Paula." Fillmore said. "He's _still_ in love with Paula. If anything, he might just be trying to make it work for her sake."

"I'm not so sure, man." Ramone said. "I'm getting worried for Paula. What if she's not safe with him?"

"Why wouldn't she-a be?" Luigi asked. "John may-a have a temper, but he would not-a hurt Paula, right?"

"I don' like John much." Mater admitted. "He ain't very nice."

"But we all know John would never lay a hand on Paula." Sheriff said firmly. "He knows what we'd all do to him if he did." The residents murmured in agreement. They made it clear to John a long time ago that, if he ever harmed Paula in even the smallest way, there would be hell to pay. He wouldn't hurt her knowing that.

Only Doc knew differently, not really paying attention to the conversation happening around him. He knew the real reason Paula became pregnant. He was a doctor, after all. Paula didn't need to tell him in order for the Hornet to know the truth. But Doc hadn't told anyone. As he deduced months ago when Paula announced her pregnancy, Doc knew nothing good could come from telling anyone. It would potentially cause further psychological damage to Paula, and she didn't need that when she was about to have a baby and start a family.

 _I would've done anything to protect you, Paula._ Doc thought, leaving his drink untouched. _I only wish I had known sooner so I could've stopped it._

* * *

John did everything he could to keep his past from catching up to him. He swore when he moved to Radiator Springs that he would leave behind who he used to be and become a better man. Yet, despite his best efforts, it seemed his temper kept flaring. To the townsfolk, John seemed to grow angrier and angrier with every passing month. But he never talked to any of them, so they could only speculate what caused him to be so frustrated. Maybe it was because he and Paula still couldn't conceive. Maybe it was because he was trying to find a job yet couldn't find anything within driving distance of town. The residents learned to just let John do his thing, since he often found ways to calm himself down.

But he actually started fighting with Paula. They would get into verbal arguments now and then, mostly revolved around leaving Radiator Springs to find a new, better place to live. Paula's devotion to her family would not waver.

"If you really want to leave, John, I won't stop you." Paula told him one night as they finished another round of arguing. "I wouldn't want to be the cause of your unhappiness. But if you leave, I won't be comin' with ya. My family, my home, is in Radiator Springs. If stayin' here makes you so angry and sad, then leave. I wouldn't be able to bear it if I caused someone I loved despair."

Those words hit John hard. Paula was willing to sacrifice their marriage, just to make him happy. It was so self-sacrificing, and suddenly he felt selfish. But he only wanted what was best for them.

Besides, he couldn't bear to leave his wife. He was devoted to her from Day One. He loved her with all his heart, and there were so many things to love about her. That's why he married her, after all. Right? Still, what John couldn't see was how unhealthy the relationship became on his side of the spectrum. He didn't see that his devotion was becoming an obsession. He relied on his wife so much that he probably wouldn't be able to leave her even if he wanted to. John clung to Paula like a lifeline, and nothing he could do would force him away from her, even if it meant he had to stay in the "dying town" of Radiator Springs.

Paula and John didn't fight anymore, which came as a relief. Life went on. John and Paula talked about resuming their attempts for a child, but Doc had told them that it was possible Paula would never conceive if she couldn't by now.

That all changed in a single night.

Paula returned to her and John's home weary from the long day. Everyone came together to do a cleanup of their stores, which went well up until Mater's bout of tractor tipping brought in a stampede of tractors. Paula's parents were already home and John went home early to watch the football game, so everyone else worked together to gather up the animals so Mater could herd them home. Soon after, everyone went home. Paula wanted nothing more than to go right to bed, but after locking the front door and dropping off her coat on the hook, she passed the living room and noticed something. Walking into the living room, she noticed the TV still on and showing another football game. Next to the Mason jar John was fixing with some duct tape, a bottle of whisky rested on the coffee table. A little more than half the bottle was already gone. Paula rolled her eyes a little.

 _He drank during the game again._ Paula guessed. John liked to have beers now and then, especially when watching the football game. But whenever he pulled out the big guns (i.e. the whisky), it usually resulted in him getting quite drunk. Paula couldn't remember if this was a new bottle or one already opened, but she could only hope John was already passed out upstairs or else she would have to camp out on the couch to avoid his morning alcohol breath.

As Paula turned around, she jumped when she saw someone right behind her. But she calmed down when she saw it was only John. "You scared me, sweetheart." John didn't answer, his bangs hanging in front of his eyes as he kept his head down. But Paula could tell he was tense. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Honey? You all right?"

John was not all right. He had hoped watching the game would take his mind off things, but when that didn't work he became forced to pull out the whisky and just start drinking it straight from the bottle. He was angry. He was angry at everything. Nothing in his life seemed to be going right anymore. He felt disconnected from the rest of the townsfolk; couldn't leave town because Paula wouldn't go; became forced to live in a pathetic excuse of a town where he didn't belong. He couldn't even get Paula to conceive, for Chrysler's sake. Something had to go right in John's life or he would go mad.

Something had to go right.

Paula gasped when John suddenly grabbed her roughly by the front of her dress, shoving her backwards and pushing her onto the couch. He immediately leaped on top of her, sitting on her legs and grabbing the front of her dress. He pulled, tearing off the buttons and ripping open the dress down to the skirt. Paula immediately started screaming for John to stop, but he simply grabbed the duct tape from nearby and slapped a strip of it over her mouth. Keeping her arms pinned and away from her face, John proceeded to tear the rest of the skirt of Paula's dress, roughly forcing her out of her underwear and bra. Then he dropped his own trousers and boxers and threw himself on top of her. Paula screamed, the sound muffled from the duct tape as John began to rape her. The rough, forced sex felt so unnatural as John switched between pinning her limbs down and caressing her body. He kissed every part of her neck and chest, clawing a bit at her flesh.

In a desperate move, Paula pushed up with her hips. It hurt like hell, but it also threw John off-balance and made him topple over to the floor. Paula wanted to rip the tape off her mouth, but she was too concerned with getting out of there and away from her severely drunk husband. She scrambled off the couch, her dress sleeves still hooked onto her arms to make her torn dress fly behind her like a cape. But as she made it around the coffee table, John full-on tackled her to the ground and dragged her back, ripping her dress off and tossing it aside. He flipped her over to her back and threw himself on her again, keeping his poor wife pinned to the carpet as he resumed his act. Tears streamed down Paula's cheeks as she desperately tried to force him off her. She blinked a few times to clear her eyes, and she spied the whisky bottle on the table. Thinking quickly, or maybe not even thinking all through the pain, she grabbed the bottle and smashed it against John's head. John grunted in pain and fell to one side, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Paula didn't give it another thought. She jumped to her feet and half-ran, half-stumbled up the stairs and to her bedroom. She slammed the door shut and locked it, leaning against the wood and sliding to the floor. With shaking hands, she pulled the duct tape off her mouth so she could let out her sobs. She curled in a ball and hugged her legs, just realizing she still didn't have any clothes on. Shaking from the shock, Paula forced herself to crawl to her bed and climb into it, cocooning herself in the safety of the comforter. She sobbed into the pillow, trying to convince herself that what just happened was only a bad dream.

Even when, deep down, she knew it wasn't.

The next morning, Paula took a shower and scrubbed herself thrice through. Even after doing that and dressing in jeans, a sweater, and her hiking boots, she felt very much violated. Not to mention her nether region still hurt. But she brushed her hair and put on a brave face, ready to pretend nothing happened. She walked downstairs but didn't see John anywhere. The broken remains of the whiskey bottle seemed to have been cleaned up already. So Paula made her way out the door and towards the café to join everyone for breakfast.

 _It's my own fault._ Paula decided as she journeyed down the road. _I made him angry. We were trying so hard for another child. He just wanted to try one last time. Although drunk sex probably wasn't the best way to go._

"Mornin' honey!" Flo greeted Paula as she came up.

"We were wondering when you were going to get here." John said, dressed in a fresh shirt and pair of jeans. He had a warm smile on his face, like last night never happened. Paula forced a smile and sat at the same table as her husband, careful to subtly take the chair across from him.

"You sure you don't want coffee or anything?" Flo asked John.

"I told you, Flo." John laughed. "Coffee actually doesn't help with hangovers."

Paula perked up a bit. "Hangover?"

"You're babe there apparently got so drunk he can't remember who won the game last night!" Ramone laughed.

John laughed too. "Well it must've been a good game if I drank so much I passed out!"

"John, one of these days yer gunna wake up with alcohol poisonin' if ya ain't careful." Sheriff sighed.

"I know, I know, Sheriff." John chuckled. "I'll be more careful next time."

Paula analyzed John's tone of voice and body language. He didn't look anything like how he did when he raped her last night. He even combed his hair. It was clear he apparently got so drunk that he didn't remember a thing from last night, not even raping his own wife.

 _It's for the best._ Paula decided as she sipped her coffee. _No one else needs to know. We can move on._

Or so she thought. Because a couple weeks after the marital rape, Paula began feeling unwell. She got cramps and stomachaches that often forced her to throw up whatever she ate. There was a strange, painful tingling in her chest. At the urging of her concerned parents, she went to Doc to get checked out.

Paula waited patiently on the cot for Doc to return from taking his tests. When he did, his expression was unreadable. Paula felt her heart rate spike, and fear crept in. "What is it? Is there a problem?"

"I'm afraid so." Doc nodded.

"Can you fix it?" Paula asked worriedly.

"I think so." Doc said. "If my calculations are correct, the problem will be fixed after about nine months."

Paula felt a mix of relief and confusion. Then, something clicked in her head. _Nine months….._

Doc smiled broadly. "Congratulations, Paula. But, in all seriousness, I do have some important things for you to start doing, including the addition of some vitamins to your diet. I'll do everything I can to make sure you keep this one, all right?"

Paula could only nod, still in shock as she put her hand over her lower stomach.

She was pregnant.

* * *

It took a long time for John to adjust to living in a tiny town. He was from the city, after all. He found it odd that he could stand at one end of the main road and not have to strain to see the other end. But he made up for it with the welcoming atmosphere of the townsfolk and his marriage with his loving wife.

Then, everything changed when the Interstate was constructed.

Several businesses closed, including the place where John had his job. His employer offered for John to come with him to another city so he could keep his job, and John hurried to the home he shared with Paula to tell her. They had the chance to still live a normal life, away from a dying town.

To his surprise, Paula refused.

Though much of the townsfolk decided to leave to find work elsewhere, the original residents (and the ones Paula knew best) were staying out of loyalty to their home, their town. So Paula declared to them and to her parents that she would stay as well.

John wasn't expecting this reaction, and he tried to convince his beloved wife that they needed to take the second option. "If I lose this job, how will I provide for us and our future family?"

Paula smiled and gently caressed his cheek soothingly. "Honey, you don't need to put that responsibility on your shoulders. I can still work at the café, and we don't really have a future family yet anyway."

John shifted a bit, still nervous. "But I—"

"Oh please don't tell me you're one of those traditional men." Paula laughed softly. "John, we'll be fine."

John finally smiled a little. "I'll try and remember that. I just worry."

"You always do." Paula sighed, the two of them sharing a warm embrace. "But this is where we belong. We have a home here, and people who care about us."

John sighed. "I guess that's all we really need, huh?"

So John told his boss he would be staying in Radiator Springs. Soon, only a handful of residents remained. But John was happy as long as he was with Paula. Besides, now they could put a little more time into planning for the next chapter of their lives: having a child. They both decided after they were married that they wanted a little boy or girl of their very own, but after several years of failed attempts and a miscarriage, it was starting to seem like they were destined to never have a child.

Paula encouraged John to never give up, making him promise to keep his chin up.

* * *

Paula knew she was a pretty girl.

Of course, that's what her daddy always told her. But she would always either say "Thank you!" in a cute way or blush madly and say "Daddy, stop it!" She never realized that, as she got older, other people would start recognizing her prettiness. She worked as a waitress in the human dining area of Flo's café, taking orders and bringing them to customers. Oftentimes, she would get wolf whistles and cat calls from some of the more boorish and vulgar men who came to the café. But Paula paid them no heed; Flo taught her to be sassy, and her parents taught her to be respectable. Any man who tried to touch something they shouldn't often earned a smack.

Either from Paula's hand or from the tray she carried.

Now, Paula had met many a kind of customer in Flo's café, but the young man she met today seemed very different. He wore ratty jeans and sneakers, a worn-out black shirt, and a black faux leather jacket. He seemed like a biker, but the way he stared at everything around him curiously showed he was more like a boy in a man's body. He sat at the stools and bar-like area near the kitchen, fiddling with a flower in a vase near him.

"Hey there, shugah." Paula greeted the man as she poured him some water. "My name's Paula and I'll be your server today."

The man nodded in greeting. "Name's John." He took a look around. "And it seems like you're the _only_ server today."

Paula smirked. "Oh, someone's got a sense of humor. For your information, my mother is currently in the kitchen." She flipped open her notebook. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"Just the water is fine." John shrugged. "I'll need another minute to look at the menu."

"Can do." Paula nodded, walking off to check on the other customers.

"Hey Davidson!" one of the other men called from across the café. "How about some more water for me an' the boys, huh?" He and his buddies laughed, as though they just heard a good joke. Paula rolled her eyes, reluctantly coming over with the water pitcher. The men she served all wore jeans and T-shirts with the logo of a delivery company on the front. These men often stopped in Radiator Springs on their way to El Paso for pit stops, but Paula secretly wished they would find someplace else or at least stop treating her like a piece of meat to fight over.

"Have you decided what you want to order?" Paula asked.

"That depends. You on the menu?" the same man from before asked. His friends chuckled.

Paula rolled her eyes again. "I'll give you a little more time." She turned to walk off, but suddenly the man stood and grabbed the skirt of her work dress, pulling her back.

"Come on, sweetheart." The man snickered. "I could show you a good time."

"Get off me." Paula ordered, loud enough for her mother to hear in the kitchen. Paula's mother poked her head out and saw the man with his hairy arm around Paula's waist, his other hand reaching for her skirt. Paula reached over to the table nearby and grabbed a fork, ready to plunge it into the man's arm.

Suddenly, someone came up and planted their fist into the man's face, forcing him to let go and sending him crashing into the table. Paula gasped softly, discovering John standing protectively in front of her.

"If the woman tells you to do something, you do it ya bastard!" John shouted.

"Hey, hey!" Everyone turned to the speaker: a police Mercury who poked his front through the door of the café. He glared at the scene. "Somethin' goin' on here?"

"It's nothing, Sheriff." Paula assured. "These nice men were just leavin'." The men looked like they wanted to retort, but between John's furious glare and Sheriff's stern frown, they knew it would be best not to. So they stood and exited the café, Sheriff following to make sure they truly left. Paula nodded to her mother, assuring her the situation was handled. Then she looked to John.

Her hazel eyes locked onto his dark blue ones. John seemed to just notice Paula's hazel eyes that sparkled like topaz gems, her long, light brunette hair the color of the desert sand, and her skin tanned from years of living in the desert environment. She was pretty. In fact, she was beautiful.

John cleared his throat. "Sorry you had to see that."

Paula shrugged. "That's all right. You just went a little easy on him. I was gonna stick a fork into him."

John laughed. He full-on laughed, something he hadn't done in a long time. At that moment, he knew he wanted to do what he could to stay in the company of this woman.

He stayed in the Cozy Cone Motel for a while before he finally found a house to live in. It wasn't much, but it gave him a roof over his head, kitchen appliances to cook and keep food, and a bed to sleep on; and he could live in Radiator Springs and keep seeing Paula. He got a job in one of the shops, giving him the money he needed for rent and his daily lunch at the café. Paula enjoyed John's visits, the two of them talking whenever they both had time to do it. Paula introduced her family: the entire town of Radiator Springs, who all seemed to like John. In turn, John revealed how he was in jail for a couple years because of multiple accounts of petty theft. But there was no judgement from Paula, who knew John truly did want to start over and make a better life for himself. Hearing her say that, knowing that this woman accepted John for who he was and not what his past labeled him as, made all the difference.

A year of dating later, they decided to get married.

* * *

"Hey buddy! We're almost there!"

John Jacobs looked up. "Thanks." He leaned out the side of the flatbed he rested in, the truck giving him a ride heading straight for a small town just ahead. John's dark blue eyes squinted a bit from the kicked up dust, his mud-colored brown hair in a crisp, clean buzz cut. He finally saw the town of Radiator Springs coming up, with a giant mesa behind it. Cars drove in and out of the town, greeting each other happily. The truck John rode in parked at Flo's café, and John thanked him once more before hopping out and stepping towards the edge of the sidewalk.

He looked up and down the road. A tire shop, a clothing store, a doctor's office, a motel, a café, and much more, all packed neatly together in a short stretch of road. There seemed to be very few houses around, and John guessed that only so many people actually lived in the town. All in all, it was just a tiny town.

But it could be the best place for John to start a new life. A better life.

John shrugged a bit. "What do I got to lose?"

* * *

John held up the detonator, hovering his thumb over the button.

Sheriff tensed up, panic momentarily sweeping over him. Paula took a step back. Sheriff kept his body prepared to move but still calm. "John, don't do this. Please."

John shook his head, his mud-colored hair hanging in his eyes. "You're gonna die here, Sheriff. See you in hell."

Paula turned and threw the comforter she held to one side.

John pressed the button.

Sheriff reversed and ducked behind a corner a split-second before—

 _BOOM!_

Outside the house, the Radiator Springs residents flinched from the loud explosion and their eyes widened at the sight of the flames that engulfed the house. Mater's eyes widened so much they seemed to almost pop out of his windshield, remembering that someone he cared about very much was still in there.

" _SHERIFF!"_

* * *

 **A/N: In case it was confusing, this story was in reverse chronological order (with the exception of the last part with John blowing up the house).**

 **Yeah, so that's John and Paula's story. Kinda sad, huh? And yet, from tragedy came their beautiful, strong daughter.**


	20. Enchanted

**Enchanted**

"I don't care if it's Arnold Schwarzenegger racing Chuck Norris, Chug!" Sky growled, trying to climb over the fuel truck's hood as he pushed her away with one tire. "My TV, my channel choice!"

"Aw, come on!" Chug whined, struggling to keep Sky at bay while holding the TV remote in his fuel nozzle arm a safe distance away. "What if one of your buddies from the Wings Around the Globe Rally is racing?"

"You don't know that for sure!" Sky argued. "That's what the Internet is for. Now give me that remote! My movie's about to come on and my popcorn is getting cold!"

"Come on, Sky." Dusty rolled his eyes, watching the fight for the remote with amusement in his eyes. "You've seen that movie a thousand times."

"And I fall in love with it again every time." Sky shrugged.

"You know, when you invited us over to watch TV, I didn't think it would start with a remote fight." Dusty laughed.

"I invited you guys over to watch a movie." Sky corrected, finally reaching the other side of Chug's hood and lunging for the remote. Chug quickly ducked out of the way, but Sky managed to grab the remote and they began a furious tug-of-war. Dusty pursed his lips to quiet his laughter, the orange-and-white plane shaking from holding his chortles.

"But none of the movies that are on now look interesting." Chug whined, lifting his fuel arm up and picking Sky off the ground. "Come on, let's watch RSN or something!"

"Why bother watching races when Dusty and I do it?" Sky asked, still hanging from Chug's fuel nozzle as she kept a death grip on the remote. She pulled her legs up and pushed her feet on Chug's fuel nozzle, trying to pull the remote from the truck. "Now give me the remote!"

"Never!" Chug declared, trying to shake Sky off his fuel arm. Sky kept her vice-like grip, holding onto the metal arm with all four limbs. Dusty full-out laughed now, amused by the spectacle.

"Ahem."

The chaos paused and the three of them glanced over to Skipper and Sparky at the other end of the room. Sparky looked quite amused while Skipper gave them all a very deadpan look.

"Is there a problem?" Skipper asked.

"Chug won't give up the TV remote!" Sky complained.

"Sky won't give up the TV remote!" Chug said at the same time.

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Come along, now. You two know how to compromise, yes?"

Chug and Sky exchanged looks. "Maybe."

Skipper sighed. "Well, just don't destroy the hanger in your fight. Sparky, care to join me at Honker's?"

"Sure, Skip." Sparky laughed, the two of them departing.

Dusty cast a look to Chug and Sky, who still hadn't moved since Skipper stopped their tussle. "How about we switch back and forth between watching races and Sky's movie?"

Sky and Chug stared each other down for a moment. "Deal." Chug said.

"Deal." Sky agreed, letting go of Chug's arm and landing on her feet. "But so help me, if I miss the final battle, there's going to be heck to pay."

As they flipped back and forth between the channels during the movie's commercials, Chug and Dusty discovered there wasn't much going on with RSN, so they convinced Sky to search online for the TV channels to find out what international races were happening.

"Looks like a lot of our friends from the Rally are on their down time." Sky announced.

"Huh." Dusty flipped through a couple other racing channels. "Guess there aren't a lot of races going on abroad." He paused in this channel surfing when he discovered a race going on in India. A familiar gold-and-red-colored plane stood out amongst the racers.

"Isn't that Ishani?" Chug asked.

"I think so." Dusty murmured with his eyes glued to the screen.

Sky noticed Dusty's trance-like gaze on the screen. "Now that I think about it, we haven't seen very many of our WAG friends since the after-party, huh?"

"Yeah." Chug agreed. "It's really been a while." The past spring and summer had been busy: the WAG win, Dusty's repairs, Sky's healing period, the after-party for the WAG, and a trip out to the _Flysenhower_ for Dusty and Sky's honorary initiation into the Jolly Wrenches. Now autumn arrived, and most if not all the farmers in Propwash Junction were busy with the harvest. Skipper was strict with Dusty and Sky in that they were not to participate in races again until they were fully healed, so they could only do a couple last-minute races before racing season officially ended until around February or March. Dusty and Sky made sure to keep in touch with their friends from the WAG, with the promise to try and visit the next time they could.

Dusty still couldn't stop staring at Ishani, even cheering for her when she won the race. Sky and Chug joined in the cheering, but they also laughed a little at Dusty's enthusiasm. "You really miss her, don't ya?" Sky asked Dusty.

"Well, maybe a little." Dusty said, avoiding his friends' gazes.

"Come on, Duster." Chug nudged the plane's wing playfully. "You and Ishani spent quite a bit of time together at the after-party."

"Well, she didn't have anyone to dance with and neither did I and uh…..we….uh….." Dusty stuttered and stammered, trying and failing to keep cool in the situation.

Sky laughed. "It's okay, Dusty. You like her. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dusty insisted.

"Denial!" Chug laughed. "The surest sign of love!"

Dusty rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling rather hot. "Oh stop it, guys."

"Shh!" Sky shushed the boys hurriedly. "Look! Ishani's talking!" They all turned to the TV, listening carefully as several reporters interviewed Ishani.

" _Yes, it has been a very successful season."_ Ishani said. _"Ending the season with a win is always a good way to end on a good note. But my philosophy is that a good season always ends on a good note, whether the final race is won or lost."_

" _Do you have any plans for your off-season?"_ one of the reporters asked.

" _After such a busy season, including the Wings Around the Globe Rally, I have decided to spend time with family and friends, along with some appearances for fans."_ Ishani said. _"Next week, I will be traveling to the United States of America to be with family and make appearances in New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle."_

"You hear that, Dusty?" Sky asked excitedly. "Ishani's coming to America! We should invite her to Propwash!"

"Yeah!" Chug agreed.

"No!" Dusty yelped. "I mean, well, it's just that she'll probably be busy and—"

"Don't you _want_ to see Ishani again?" Sky asked.

"Well, yeah, but…." Dusty scrambled for an excuse.

"Then let's invite her over! The worst she can say is 'I can't, I'm too busy but maybe next time.'" Chug said.

Dusty sighed. "I dunno, guys. There's not really much of a point."

"Come on, Dusty." Sky practically pleaded. "You got a tour of Ishani's home, but Ishani doesn't know what Propwash Junction is like."

"Why would Ishani want to see my home?" Dusty asked. "There's not much here compared to the beauty of India."

"It's different compared to India. That's what will make it beautiful to her." Sky said.

Dusty stared at Ishani's image on the TV for a moment before switching the channel back to Sky's movie. "I don't think so, guys. Let's just leave it alone."

Chug and Sky exchanged glances, and instantly they both thought of the same thing: no way would they leave this alone.

* * *

"Now, you two really didn't have to do this." Mayday said. He pushed a picture frame just enough to stop it from tilting to one side.

"I would feel bad leaving you to clean the firehouse alone." Sky said, sweeping up her dust pile and shepherding it out the door.

"Yeah, it's no trouble at all." Dusty assured. He finally finished cleaning the windows, nodding in satisfaction at the amount of natural light that could now stream into the room.

"You two are very kind." Mayday said gratefully. "If you ever need anything from me, you're welcome to ask. Don't know what an old firetruck like myself can do, but I can certainly try."

"We told you it's not a problem." Sky said, propping the broom up in the corner. "Besides, cleaning the firehouse reminds me of the chores Dad made me do as a kid." She and Dusty checked the firehouse a couple times, and Mayday confirmed that the firehouse never looked better. So the two racers left, Dusty strolling down the streets of Propwash with Sky sitting on his wing.

"So what should we do now?" Dusty asked. "Racing practice?"

"We had practice this morning." Sky reminded him.

"Practice makes perfect." Dusty said.

Sky laughed, but she couldn't disagree. Still, she couldn't stop sneaking glances around her. _Come on, come on. She was supposed to arrive today._

"Hey Dusty! Hey Sky!" Dottie called as she passed the racers on her way into town. "Oh, Chug's waiting for you two at the Fill N' Fly. Apparently you have a visitor."

"We do?" Dusty asked, making his way to the Fill N' Fly. Sky craned her neck to see, and she smiled broadly. Dusty, on the other hand, froze and stared in shock.

"Well hello Dusty, Skylar!" Ishani greeted warmly as she came up to them, Chug in tow. Ishani had a gentle smile on her lips and Dusty felt like he was melting.

"Hey there Ishani!" Sky returned the greeting with a mile-wide smile. "Glad you could make it."

Dusty jolted a little. "Huh?"

"Skylar was very kind to extend an invitation for me to see your home." Ishani explained. "I decided to spend a day here to see the town and refuel before I continue to California."

"Oh!" Dusty said much too loudly. "That's….uh, great!"

Ishani giggled. "Well, I already checked in to the motel. Do you think you could show me around?"

"That would be wonderful!" Sky said. "But, uh, I think I'm coming down with something." She coughed a few times and did her best impression of a sniffle. "I better get home so I don't spread it to you. But Dusty can give you the tour."

Dusty froze again. "Huh?"

"I'll take you home, Sky." Chug offered, scooping Sky up in his fuel nozzle arm. "You enjoy your tour, Ishani. Dusty knows everything about this place." He drove off, leaving Dusty and Ishani alone. Ishani smiled good-naturedly at Dusty, who looked absolutely mortified.

 _I am going to kill those two._ Dusty mentally grumbled.

"Shall we go?" Ishani asked.

"Huh? Oh!" Dusty cleared his throat. "Sure. Uh, why don't we start here?"

Chug and Sky watched from around the corner of a building. "Phase One of Operation: Lovebirds is complete." Sky reported. "Let's move on to Phase Two."

"Let's do it!" Chug agreed.

Sky paused. "Wait a minute, what _is_ Phase Two?"

"I dunno." Chug shrugged. "I'm mostly making this up as I go along."

* * *

Dusty showed Ishani the Fill N' Fly first, and then began leading her around town. He explained to her the different shops and people who owned them and worked there. This would've been a relatively short tour if Ishani didn't ask her questions now and then. The entire time, Chug and Sky stayed close behind the pair in hopes of finding a way to bring them closer together.

"And here's the florist." Dusty said, showing Ishani the stall outside the supermarket. A wide range of colorful flowers, from daisies to roses, gave off a rainbow of colors across the stand.

Ishani took a deep inhale. "They smell wonderful."

"I should certainly hope so." The vendor chuckled.

Chug and Sky peered out from around the corner, staring at the scene. "That's it! Flowers! The surest sign of love!" Chug said.

"I guess." Sky shrugged. "But how to do it?"

"Leave it to me!" Chug drove off before Sky could stop him, so she stayed in her position and watched him work. Chug snuck up behind the florist cart, hiding and watching Dusty and Ishani talk through the bundles of petals. When Ishani turned to look around the supermarket area, Chug reached his fuel nozzle arm through the shelves and knocked over a bundle of red roses. The thankfully thorn-less flowers landed right on Dusty's canopy, spilling all over him despite his desperate and clumsy attempts to save them. He only caught one, however, and snatched the stem in his teeth.

"Yesth!" Dusty cheered. At that moment, Ishani turned around to see what looked like Dusty offering a flower. He grinned sheepishly, but Ishani giggled softly.

Sky face palmed. _I almost can't believe he did that._

"Uh, dis isn't what ooh thwink." Dusty said, his mouth still full of rose stem.

Ishani laughed. "I never thought you'd be such a romantic, Dusty." The former crop duster suddenly felt hot, and he swallowed.

Chug quietly cheered, slipping away and returning to Sky. "So, what do you think? Am I genius or what?"

Sky gave Chug a deadpan look. "I'm gonna go with 'or what.' Although I will not deny that sort of worked."

"Then we move to Phase Three." Chug said.

"Are we making it up as we go along again?" Sky asked.

"Yes and no." Chug corrected. "We gotta think about what happens in all those cheesy romantic movies you like."

"Okay, when was it established that I actually like 'cheesy' romantic flicks?" Sky asked. "Get down!" She and Chug ducked down as Dusty and Ishani passed them. They peered out carefully, making sure the two racing planes didn't see them.

"Well, you've seen _some_ romance movies." Chug said. "Tell me what the guy does for the girl."

Sky thought for a moment. "For one thing, we should avoid the Romeo and Juliet approach." Her eyes lit up. "I think I got it!"

* * *

Well, Sky thought she had it.

Chug's and Sky's attempts to bring Ishani and Dusty closer more or less succeeded. They tried everything: discretely hinting a place for a romantic lunch, slipping small gifts onto Dusty's wing to give to Ishani, and even Chug's idea of hanging mistletoe over them (that last one quickly got shot down).

"I'm tellin' ya, it's the best way to enhance the romance!" Chug insisted.

"Chug, for the last time, it's way too early for mistletoe because it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Or Halloween." Sky protested.

"So what do we do?" Chug asked. "I feel like we're back at Square One." He and Sky looked out from their hiding spot, watching Ishani and Dusty chat at a café. They talked and laughed, unaware of their eavesdroppers.

"Come on, it's clear they're crazy for each other." Sky said thoughtfully. "But neither one of them are making the move. We have to do something to get them to connect."

"Get who to connect?"

Chug and Sky nearly screamed as they spun around, but they calmed down when they saw only Skipper and Sparky behind them. "You two still spying on them?" Sparky chuckled.

"How'd you know about that?" Sky asked.

"We've been watching you watching them." Sparky shrugged his tines. "You two aren't very good at this, are you?"

"I suppose you got a better idea?" Chug huffed.

"Watch and learn." Skipper began taxiing over to the racers. Chug, Sky, and Sparky watched, curious as to what Skipper would do.

"Hey you two!" Skipper greeted. "So this is the famous Ishani I've heard so much about."

 _I swear they're all conspiring against me._ Dusty put on a smile. "Hey Skipper. Yeah, this is Ishani."

"I had no idea you talked about me." Ishani giggled, much to Dusty's chagrin.

"Oh! Well, I mean…..uh….I talked about everyone." Dusty said.

"You seemed to talk about her the most though." Skipper pointed out.

"Skipper!" Dusty hissed, laughing nervously. But Ishani only laughed good-naturedly.

Skipper chuckled. "Well, I _was_ going to ask you if you were up for a little evening practice, but I see you two are busy at the moment."

"Evening practice?" Ishani repeated.

"Gotta keep him in shape for racing season." Skipper said. "Why don't you help him out? Get a little tour of Propwash at the same time."

"Uh, actually she already got a tour of Propwash!" Dusty said hurriedly.

"She got a tour of the town. She needs to see the fields and what makes up the rest of the area." Skipper said. "It should be fun."

"That sounds like a splendid idea." Ishani agreed. "Would you mind, Dusty?"

"Uh…." Dusty cleared his throat. "No! I mean, yes. I mean, uh, shall we go?"

"Yes, let's go." Ishani nodded, leading the way as she and Dusty taxied over to the runway.

Skipper watched them go for a moment before turning back and returning to Chug, Sky, and Sparky. Chug and Sky had their jaws dropped.

"My dad is a matchmaker." Sky said.

Skipper laughed. "You better believe it. Now just sit back and watch how it works."

Dusty and Ishani took off, gliding through the air and taking to the skies. Dusty led the way, describing the scenery as they went.

"So there are the corn fields I used to work on." Dusty described. "And there's the mountain. That's the river where Skipper and I like to work my vertical climb. Oh and that's the obstacle course Skipper set up when he was training me and Sky!"

"Really?" Ishani breathed in awe. "How so?"

"Like this! Watch!" Dusty dived down, beginning a casual run of the course. Ishani watched in awe as he threaded the grain silos with precision and skill, shot past grazing tractors, and made a steep dive that sent him shooting past the old finish line.

"That's incredible, Dusty!" Ishani cheered. "And such a wonderful use of resources."

"How did you train for races?" Dusty asked as they continued their flight.

"Oh I was on a professional track." Ishani said dismissively. "I had a coach who would take me out with my parents to a track where I would learn to hone my skills. But this method Commander Riley used looks just as effective." She took a deep breath of the autumn air and sighed. "And you have such a wonderful view. It's so beautiful out here, Dusty."

Dusty took a look. The sun began touching the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the fields and turning the river into a mirror of the purple-pink sky. "Well, it's not much, but it's home."

"I think it's beautiful." Ishani insisted. "It's so lovely. Have you lived here your whole life?"

"Well, most of it." Dusty said. "It's a great life for sure."

"Certainly sounds like it." Ishani said, smiling warmly. Dusty mirrored her smile, almost forgetting he was flying. "What else is around here?" Ishani asked, looking excited again.

"Well, follow me." Dusty encouraged. "The forest is always nice this time of day."

Skipper, Sky, Sparky, and Chug could see Ishani and Dusty banking off and flying so far away they were like specks in the sky. "Wow." Chug breathed. "You did it, Skipper."

"Finding love is kind of like a war." Skipper said. "You have to win and lose some battles, but ultimately what matters is winning the war."

"Who taught you that?" Sky asked.

"Sparky." Skipper replied, said medic looking quite proud.

Sky laughed. "Not bad, guys. That might just be what we need to win the battle tonight."

"Nothing like a little enchantment to bring two lovebirds together." Sparky sighed.

Something clicked in Sky's head. "Enchantment. Yeah! And I think I know just the way to finish it off."

* * *

Ishani and Dusty returned soon after sunset. Before Ishani retired to her hotel room, Dusty invited her out to a cliff edge to stargaze. Sky helped with that, offering her favorite spot near her home. Dusty had a sneaking suspicion that Sky was up to something, but he couldn't deny that Sky had the best spot for looking up at the stars. Plus, Ishani could see the beauty of Propwash Junction fields at night. The two racers sat with their wings mere inches away from each other, simply looking up at the night sky and admiring. The silence didn't necessarily come off as awkward, but both of them wished they could think of something to talk about.

Sky peered out from around the corner of the hanger, observing where Dusty and Ishani stood. _Okay, you two._ Sky thought, creeping closer to the pair. _You are not nearly as close as you should be._ She found a cluster of empty metal barrels halfway between the hanger and the cliff edge. Sky sat down behind them, carefully hidden from the planes as she pulled her guitar into her lap. She bit her tongue a little as she tuned her guitar. _Let's get this going._

"It's a wonderful view up here." Ishani finally said.

"Yeah." Dusty agreed. "Sky likes to sit out here all the time."

"Oh really?" Ishani asked.

"Yeah. It's kinda funny, but cliffs are how we became friends." Dusty explained. Sky paused, listening to the conversation.

"Cliffs made you friends?" Ishani looked confused.

"Sort of." Dusty chuckled. "See, when Sky and I were younger, after she moved to Propwash Junction, she used to stand out on the cliff edge and she'd spread her arms out just to feel the wind. Every time someone asked her what she was doing, she'd say 'I'm pretending to fly.' I had never seen someone so in love with flying. Sparky asked me and Chug to be friends with her. I guess Sky was a bit of a loner. So I decided to help her do the one thing she always wanted to do."

Ishani smiled broadly. "You're such a good friend, Dusty."

"Well, I was happy to do it." Dusty lifted his wings in his best shrug. "Sky's a great friend. She's like a sister to me now."

Sky smiled softly. _Time I did something for you, buddy._

Ishani and Dusty perked up when they heard guitar strumming. _That must be Sky._ Dusty realized. _What's she up to now?_

Ishani focused on the music, comparing its woodsy sound to the sitars she often heard back home. _How lovely. Wonder what this is all about._

Sky grinned. _Here we go._ She took in a breath and began singing, just loud enough for the two planes to hear her.

Ishani and Dusty glanced towards each other, but looked away out of shyness and some embarrassment. Dusty felt the heat rising in his face again, and his propeller twitched a few times. Ishani suddenly gained interest in a nearby wildflower. Dusty knew Sky was like a mood ring jukebox with how she chose songs to play. Part of him wanted to scold Sky and be irritated with her, but another part of him realized how almost accurate her song choice seemed. He looked back over to Ishani, who apparently lost interest in the flower and steadily started looking towards him too.

Ishani adjusted her position, bringing her nose closer to Dusty's and causing their wings to overlap. Dusty froze when one of his propellers tapped against the side of Ishani's muzzle. She locked her pretty jade green eyes onto his ocean blue ones, and he couldn't keep the smile off his lips. Ishani giggled silently, daring herself to move closer to him. Ishani hummed softly to the tune of the song, feeling completely relaxed in the setting. Dusty finally could do the same, soaking in the moment and wishing it would last more than a few minutes.

 _I owe you big time, Sky._ Dusty decided.

Sky dared herself to peer out to see the effects of her song. Her smile became as big as a Cheshire Cat's to see Dusty and Ishani borderline cuddling, and she knew her and Chug's mission was accomplished. She silently slipped away from her hiding spot and darted into the hanger, leaning against the door as she shut it behind her. Biting her lower lip, Sky gave off a couple quite squeals of joy. She hopped around silently, punching the air and cheering for herself.

"Ahem."

Sky froze, discovering Skipper and Sparky right in front of her. The men smiled amusedly. "I take it your little operation went well?" Skipper guessed.

Sky hugged her guitar. "Yep." She squeaked.

* * *

The next morning, Chug refueled Ishani and the racers said farewell for now.

"You definitely should come again sometime." Dusty said. "This is just Propwash Junction during harvest season."

"Very well." Ishani nodded. "But you must come to India once in a while so I can show you _my_ home. Oh, and of course if you want to come, Skylar, you can too."

 _In love, they be._ Sky giggled. "Thanks, Ishani. I would love that."

"Well, you're all fueled up!" Chug announced. "Have a safe flight!"

"Thank you, Chug." Ishani said.

"I'll escort you two to the runway." Skipper offered. He and Ishani began moving towards the end of the runway.

Dusty stayed back for a moment, looking to Chug and Sky. "I know what you two did."

"What? Us?" Sky asked, feigning innocence.

"No idea what you're talkin' about, Duster." Chug said, a smile plastered across his lips.

"Yeah, right." Dusty laughed as he began following Skipper and Ishani. He smiled broadly. "Thanks, guys."

"Safe travels, Miss Chopra." Skipper said.

"Thank you, Commander Riley." Ishani said. She looked to Dusty. "And thank you, Dusty, for a wonderful trip. It was very fun."

"Oh, it was nothing." Dusty said dismissively, a semi-goofy grin on his lips. "You're always welcome here, so stop by whenever you'd like."

"As I said, only if you promise to stop by India whenever _you'd_ like." Ishani said.

"You got it." Dusty nodded. Ishani smiled, and she quickly came forward and kissed Dusty's muzzle. Dusty froze, his eyes wide at the loving gesture. Ishani bid him and Skipper a final farewell and then took off on the runway, disappearing into the distance.

Skipper chuckled at Dusty's still-frozen face. "You got yourself a keeper there, Dusty." The orange-and-white plane didn't answer. Skipper raised an eye frame. "Dusty? You okay?"

Dusty's eyelids relaxed, and he sighed dreamily. His landing gear suddenly retracted into his wings and he slumped to the ground as he fainted.

Skipper blinked a few times in surprise, but chuckled. "Atta boy, Dusty. Atta boy."

Sky and Chug laughed at their friend's reaction to the kiss. Sky held out her hand, palm-up. "Operation: Lovebirds is a success."

"You got that right!" Chug cheered, lightly slapping his fuel nozzle against Sky's hand.


	21. Fragile

**Fragile**

Dusty often liked to fly out around the fields, practicing aerobatic maneuvers and just enjoying the air running over his hide. Of course, if Skipper knew Sky rode Dusty during his fancy flying, the Corsair would kill him. So Dusty oftentimes asked Sky to stay home, or he would sneak her out at night to do the fancy flying.

But as Dusty finished an inverted loop to put more speed on, he suddenly noticed the bright, sunny day becoming dark. Glancing skyward, he saw thick, black storm clouds brewing with thunder and lightning.

"Better get home." Dusty murmured, turning and heading back towards Propwash Junction. After flying through the storm over the Pacific, Dusty wouldn't be caught dead flying through another one. As he braked to a halt on the runway, he felt the rain begin to come down. He made his way to his hanger, passing the Fill N' Fly on the way. He paused when he spotted Dottie at work inside.

"Hey Dottie!" Dusty called. "You better be getting home soon. Weather's getting bad."

Dottie slowly turned to Dusty, smiling softly and nodding. "Yeah, Dusty. Sure thing."

Dusty frowned when he noticed the redness in Dottie's eyes, and the tear stains on her sides. "You okay?"

Dottie gave a long, drawn-out sigh. "I guess so. You?"

"Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I guess." Dusty said uncertainly. _Why is she acting this way?_

"Good. Good. Well, see ya." Dottie turned and drove off.

 _Well that was strange._ Dusty shrugged it off and started towards home, hoping he wouldn't get too wet by the time he got there.

Chug passed him on the way. Dusty paused when he noticed Chug's eyes were red too. The fuel truck glanced to Dusty and forced a smile. "Hey Duster. How ya doin'?"

"Uh, pretty good." Dusty said. "You know, just goin' about my business."

Chug nodded aimlessly. "You know, you can talk to any of us, Dusty. You two were really close, so it's okay to feel sad about what happened."

Dusty suddenly felt cold, although he couldn't recall feeling cold when the rain became heavier. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Don't shut anyone out, Dusty." Chug encouraged. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"O-okay." Dusty watched Chug drive away. "But what are you talking about, Chug? What's happened?" Dusty heard Chug mutter something.

"We all miss…" Chug's voice trailed off.

"Miss? Miss who?" Dusty called after Chug. "Chug, what happened?!" Chug didn't answer, and the rain started coming down in sheets to cloud the truck's image from view. Dusty stared at the ground, a wave of panic washing over him. "What's happened? What's going on? Okay, just think, Dusty. What could've happened? What did he mean?" Dusty gave it some thought, not even noticing he couldn't feel the pouring rain. "Miss? Miss who?" A horrible theory formed in his mind. "Someone's dead. Oh Chrysler who died? Who do we know who would—" Dusty gasped softly. "Mayday. Mayday!" He hurriedly drove off, not even feeling the sting of the rain. He saw flashes of lightning, but the thunder sounded muffled. His fear of Mayday's fate caused him to be rather unaware of his surroundings. He skidded across the wet asphalt and halted right outside the firehouse. "Mayday! Mayday, you in there?"

The door opened, and Dusty sighed heavily in relief to see Mayday in the doorway and apparently in very good health. But he looked sorrowful. "Oh, hello Dusty. What can I do for you?"

Dusty swallowed. "Mayday, something's happened but I don't know what."

"Everyone feels like that once in a while in light of…..recent events" Mayday said, his voice rather quiet and forcing Dusty to strain to hear him. "It's all part of the process."

"What process?" Dusty muttered. He groaned. "Mayday, I don't understand!"

"Now, Dusty, just calm down." Mayday said soothingly.

"I can't! I feel like either someone's hiding something from me or I did something wrong and nobody's telling me what I did!" Dusty cried, panting a little at his outburst.

Mayday stared at Dusty, and then sighed. "Dusty, now don't feel that way. Don't _ever_ blame yourself for what happened. There was nothing you could've done."

Thunder echoed around them.

"Nothing I…..n-nothing…what?" Dusty could hardly comprehend it all. "Mayday, who….."

"Why don't you go see Skipper?" Mayday suggested.

"Skipper?" Dusty breathed. He suddenly felt his engine stopped. "Skipper! It's Skipper!" He turned and hurried off towards the Corsair's hanger. "Why did it happen? How did it happen? What could've happened to him?" Dusty tore across the asphalt and grass, his eyes locked on the hanger at the end of the runway. He instantly thought of the worst-case scenario: that somehow Skipper had been killed in a training accident or maybe passed away in his sleep. But he could've sworn he saw Skipper just this morning. Didn't he? Dusty couldn't remember what might've happened. In fact, he couldn't remember anything from the past several days. Was there an accident during training? Did a race go wrong? Did Ripslinger come back for revenge and Skipper died helping Dusty? That last one somehow sounded the most plausible.

Dusty banged hurriedly on the door with his wing, praying for an answer. The door slowly creaked open enough for Sparky to be seen. His eyes were red and old tears dripped to the ground. He seemed to be holding back fresh tears, making his eyes glassy.

"Hey there Dusty." Sparky greeted in a soft voice.

Dusty swallowed, feeling hot tears building up behind his eyes. "Sparky. Sparky, please tell me….."

"Don't blame yourself, Dusty." Sparky said, not even looking at the orange-and-white plane.

Dusty realized he held his breath, and he let it out in a strangled gasp. "Sparky, please."

"Come on in, Dusty." Sparky moved aside, pulling the doors open wider so Dusty could roll inside. But when he finally came in, he looked and discovered Sparky mysteriously disappeared. Dusty looked around for Skipper's corpse, but he jumped when he saw the Corsair parked next to a window and staring out at the storm.

"Skipper!" Dusty sighed in immense relief as he approached his mentor. _He's alive. But then why is everyone acting so weird?_ "Skipper—"

"You didn't protect her." Skipper suddenly said. Dusty paused, staring at Skipper. He noticed the Corsair's faint reflection in the window. Skipper's eyes settled into a furious glare, but they were red and tears ran freely down his sides.

"Skipper?" Dusty breathed.

"You didn't protect her. You promised you would!" Skipper's voice raised in volume and then cracked. He sounded like he desperately tried to not get choked up. "You didn't….protect…you didn't…."

A flash of lightning lit up the room, and suddenly the hanger became plunged into darkness. Dusty couldn't see anything. He couldn't even see Skipper. "Skipper? Sparky? What's going on? Please tell me what happened."

Light caught Dusty's eye, and he turned to see a sort of spotlight seemed to shine down right on a curtained-off area of the hanger: Sky's room. Dusty hesitantly made his way over, but he felt an overwhelming sense of dread and an urge to fly away as fast as he could. Nonetheless, he continued forward until he stopped right in front of the curtain. Slowly, Dusty used his nose and propellers to take the edge of the curtain and pull it open. His eyes widened at what lay on the other side, and he might've screamed if the shock didn't reduce his voice to a high-pitched whimper.

A coffin stood where Sky's bed would be.

The lid was open, and—even though he didn't know why—Dusty rolled up to look inside the coffin. Sky rested inside, donned in only a simple white dress. She looked peaceful, as though she were only sleeping. Voices echoed all around Dusty.

 _Don't blame yourself._

 _Nothing you could've done._

 _You didn't protect her._

Before Dusty's eyes, Sky's skin turned ashen and gray and then flat-out disappeared, turning to dust and blowing away in a nonexistent breeze. Her hair burst into flames and smoldered down to nothingness. Only a skeleton in a white dress remained. The lid suddenly slammed shut, and a ghostly form of Skylar Amelia Riley stood before Dusty. The former crop duster stared in horror at the pure-white figure, panting heavily.

"You didn't protect me." Sky's ghost growled.

" _NO!"_

Dusty's eyes shot open. He gasped and panted, looking around at where he rested. His breathing calmed when he saw the bed mat, human-sized bed, nightstand, TV, and ugly red carpet of the hotel.

No dark hanger. No storm. No coffin with a skeleton.

 _It was only a dream._ Dusty sighed softly. Just to make sure, he reviewed everything he remembered from the past few days.

Racing season finally started again. They weren't even in Propwash Junction. He, Sky, Skipper, and Sparky flew out to Colorado for a race that was tomorrow afternoon. Dusty glanced at the clock. 3:10 a.m. Make that later today. Skipper and Sparky were in the room next door. Dusty shared a room with Sky. No storm outside. In fact, the night was clear and calm. Something else popped up in Dusty's memory: a talk Sky had with another psyche human racer at the welcome dinner they went to yesterday night. The racer had apparently heard about how she and Dusty crashed in the Pacific Ocean, and he couldn't believe Sky managed to survive the crash.

 _Maybe that's what caused the nightmare._ Dusty mused.

Speaking of Sky, the psyche human suddenly moaned sleepily, and she shifted under the sheet and comforter of the hotel bed. She rubbed her eyes and blearily opened them to stare at Dusty. "Hey Dusty. You okay?"

Dusty cleared his throat softly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Sky squinted at the digital clock on the nightstand. "It's three in the morning. You sure nothing's wrong?"

"No worries, Sky." Dusty assured.

Sky sighed. She was so tired, but she couldn't stop staring at the orange-and-white plane in concern. "You know I'm there for you when you need it, Dusty. Okay?"

"I'm fine, really." Dusty insisted. "Just…..excited for the race."

"Well you can be excited at a reasonable hour." Sky yawned. "Go back to sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us after breakfast."

Dusty chuckled. "Okay. Goodnight, Sky."

"G'night." Sky's head flopped back down on her pillow, and she instantly fell back asleep.

Dusty watched her sleep for a while, eyeing the steady rise and fall of her back as she breathed. It was comforting knowing she was still alive and not a ghostly image like in his dream. Dusty continued to stare for several minutes, and then he sighed.

Sky was in no way fragile. She was strong, powerful, and never afraid or one to back down from a fight. She'd fight off the worst monsters of the world to protect the people she loved. If someone knocked her down, she'd jump to her feet again and send a fist flying. Of course, under that rough and tough exterior was a girl who simply loved her family. She loved to race with her brother-like friend. Her psyche human abilities generally gave her a faster healing period than normal humans.

But she was still human.

Sky would love to deny it, but humans just couldn't take some of the hits that a vehicle could survive. A car or plane could get spare parts or be patched up with sheets of moldable metal. They didn't bleed as easily. Crashes, with the exception of severe cases, were survivable. But not for humans. They were soft, easily breakable creatures. They had some durability, driven by survival instincts or pure stubbornness to live, but would that always be enough?

Dusty didn't like to think like that. He knew better. Yes, there were some things vehicles could survive that humans couldn't, but that didn't make one species any stronger than the other. It still terrified him, though, to think about the things that could potentially kill Sky. Racing was one of those things. She barely survived the Wings Around the Globe Rally. It was a miracle she didn't drown in the Pacific, and she could've been greatly reinjured by Ripslinger if Skipper hadn't come to help when he did. It was a fear that popped up in the back of Dusty's mind every time he and Sky raced.

What would happen if he lost her?

What would happen if he couldn't protect his sister-like friend?

Dusty silently rolled over to Sky and gave her head the gentlest of nuzzles. "I won't ever let you get hurt, Sky."

 _Sky, my friend, my sister. I'd do anything to protect you._


	22. Father

**Father**

"Right up there, Red!" Doc shouted as the fire truck pumped water onto the burning house. "That's it, try and get it under control. There ya go!"

The rest of the Radiator Springs' residents stood a safe distance from the burning house, but close enough to see what was happening. Mater stared at the front door, remembering Sheriff's final words to him before speeding inside. _Get Doc and Red. Things are going to get rough, but whatever you do,_ do not _come after me._ Only now, Mater wished he had. Fear gripped his engine, his eyes wide. But relief washed over him when he saw the flash of Sheriff's lights.

"Doc! Sheriff's comin' out!" Mater shouted.

Doc noticed the police car, and thankfully so did Red. The fire truck aimed his hose at the front door, soaking it down to give Sheriff a clear shot outside. The water drenched Sheriff and rained down on his precious cargo, but allowed him to get out safely so Red could resume his efforts on the rest of the house. He became less desperate, sending a clear message to everyone that he had it under control. The residents gave collective sighs. For a quiet fella, Red certainly knew how to do his job.

Sheriff finally got across the street and released the comforter in his teeth, coughing a bit as the fresh, clean night air rushed into his lungs. He stared worriedly at the four-year-old girl on the blanket, gingerly brushing her brunette locks, the same color as Mater's rust, from her face. Finally, the girl coughed and her eyes scrunched up before blinking open, revealing crystal blue irises that, oddly enough, were exactly the same color as Doc's eyes.

The girl looked around for a moment before settling on Sheriff's grill. "Sh-Sheriff? Is that you?"

Sheriff moved so she could better see his eyes, and he smiled. "Right here, kiddo. You're gonna be okay." The girl nodded aimlessly, still a little confused, and began pushing herself upright.

"Sheriff!" Doc called as he drove over. The other residents moved a little closer, but made sure Doc, Sheriff, and the girl had their space. Doc looked back and forth between Sheriff and the girl, assessing both for injuries. "You two all right?"

"We're a little roasted, but fine." Sheriff chuckled.

Doc rolled his eyes a little. But he suddenly noticed something. He stared at Sheriff. "Where are John and Paula?" Sheriff's face fell. He looked down, shaking his hood. Doc closed his eyes, allowing the full weight of the news to set in. The rest of the Radiator Springs' residents either lowered their hoods in mourning or stared sadly at the little girl still sitting on the comforter. The human child was more alert now, staring at everyone with confusion and a hint of fear.

The girl looked to the police car beside her. "Sheriff? Where's Mommy and Daddy?"

Sheriff looked to Doc, who finally opened his eyes and nodded. Sheriff moved to the girl and sighed. "Harley, your parents can't be here anymore. They're gone."

Harley was only four years old. But she could understand what Sheriff meant. She stared at her house, now reduced to a blackened building as Red smothered the last of the flames. Tears built up in her eyes and Harley curled into a ball, beginning to cry. Everyone stared at her sadly, mourning as she did now.

But not Doc. He immediately moved closer to Harley and nuzzled her gently. The girl immediately climbed to her knees and hugged his tire, the only thing she could get her arms around. She sobbed into him, but soon began to quiet down as his soothing yet gravelly voice shushed her and spoke words of comfort. Finally, she managed to sit back on her ankles and wipe her eyes dry, her cheek smeared with a little dirt from hugging Doc's tire.

"Harley, are you listening to me?" Doc asked gently. Harley only nodded. "Harley, you don't have to be afraid, all right? You will _always_ have a family in Radiator Springs. You know that."

Harley sniffled. "Yeah, I know."

"And nothing is going to change that." Doc assured. "I promise, you're going to be all right. We're going to take care of you. I'mgoing to personally make sure of that."

Harley looked up to Doc, her crystal blue eyes sparkling a little despite being a bit red. "Promise? Cross your engine?"

"You bet, kiddo." Doc nodded with a smile. "Cross my engine and hope to stall."

Harley giggled a little, a smile forming on her lips. She coughed harshly into her hand.

"Come on." Doc dipped down a little and used one of his tires to help Harley climb onto his hood. "Red, can you take care of the rest of that?" The fire truck nodded to Doc's request. Doc looked to Sheriff. "Stay with Red for now and make sure that fire is completely out."

"Can do, Doc." Sheriff nodded. "You just take care of Harley."

Doc nodded and drove off to the clinic. Harley curled up as she lay on Doc's hood, and she kept her ear pressed to the metal. She could hear Doc's engine purring as it ran, steady and strong. The soothing sound made her sleepy again.

"You sound like a kitty." Harley mumbled.

Doc started a bit, but only chuckled at the four-year-old. "Oh really?"

"Ahuh." Harley yawned. "A big, metal kitty." Her eyes fluttered shut and she began sleeping again.

Doc chuckled again. _A big, metal kitty. That's a new one._ He finally made it to the clinic and he gently deposited Harley onto a cot in the corner. Harley breathed evenly again, with only a small cough now and then. Doc trusted that she wouldn't need oxygen, so he opened a window nearby and grabbed a soft blanket to drape over Harley. The girl unconsciously snuggled into the warmth of the blanket, and she sighed contently.

"Goodnight, kiddo." Doc breathed.

* * *

The next morning, Doc had to gently remind Harley of what happened last night with the fire. Harley didn't seem to fully understand, but she did comprehend the fact that her parents were no longer there for her. Nonetheless, she allowed Doc to lead her out of the clinic and over to Flo's for breakfast. Harley seemed to perk up when Flo made her pancakes, but she complained that her clothes smelled funny. Sheriff promised her they would get her some new clothes later today, and Mater quickly volunteered to help. Harley still felt some sadness knowing her parents were never returning to her, but she soon forgot about it as the day continued on.

After breakfast, Doc insisted on a checkup to make sure Harley wasn't injured at all. Apart from some bruising when Paula threw her behind the couch, Harley checked out with a clean bill of health. Flo, Sheriff, and Mater took her to another town to find her some new clothes, and Mater even bought her a couple new toys and books. When they returned, Doc encouraged Harley into a bath. She emerged from the clinic freshly cleaned and in new clothes, looking good as new. Mater invited Harley to go out and play at Willie's Butte, and soon the two of them were romping around and playing like the fire never happened.

But everyone could see it in Harley's eyes: she didn't like being separated from her parents, and she missed them dearly.

After making sure she wasn't majorly injured and securing some new belongings for her, the next problem came up: where Harley would stay. For the time being, Doc determined she ought to stay in the clinic. So that night, after a hearty and happy dinner with the town, Doc tucked her into the cot again and wished her a goodnight. Harley smiled broadly, cuddling the plush Tigger toy Mater bought for her. Doc couldn't stop grinning as he quietly exited the clinic, and he didn't deny that seeing Harley smile made him very relieved.

Everyone gathered at Flo's to discuss Harley's living situation. The atmosphere felt rather tense, and the residents couldn't remember the last time they had to deal with such problems. John and Paula couldn't really be buried since nothing remained of their bodies, but it was already established that they would get headstones like Paula's parents and Stanley. Now they just had to worry about Harley.

"I think it's safe to say we want Harley to stay in Radiator Springs." Sheriff said. "Agreed?"

"Agreed." Everyone replied without hesitation.

"But we need an official record of her new guardian." Doc said. "And it'll be easier on her if she physically stays with one of us; so she knows she has a house to go back to."

"It's also necessary for Child Protection Services." Sarge pointed out.

"So where should she-a stay?" Luigi asked.

"Kin I take care o' her?" Mater requested.

"No." Everyone else replied dully.

Mater pouted. "Aw, why not?"

"Mater, we know you are a good big brother for Harley." Doc explained. "But you ain't quite the father type yet."

Mater sighed. "Okay."

"Why don' you take care of her, Doc?" Sheriff suggested.

Doc blinked in surprise. "Me?"

"Yeah, good idea, Sheriff!" Ramone agreed.

"Whoa, wait a minute." Doc interjected quickly. "Why me?"

"Well, for one thing, you're the only one of us that actually has a place for her to stay." Fillmore noted.

"None of us have guest rooms and we're not going to ask her to sleep on a floor." Sarge added.

Guido said something in Italian. "Or a couch." Luigi translated.

"And it'll be good for her to be so close to a doctor." Flo pointed out. "Especially at this point in her life."

"Folks, we're talkin' about Harley's future guardian." Doc protested. "Whoever adopts her is going to be her new father or mother. Flo, Ramone, why don't you take her in?"

"She'll end up on our couch, man." Ramone said.

"Honestly, Doc, you're the best one for the job." Flo said. The other residents voiced their agreements.

Doc looked down, unsure. "Why me?"

"Because, no matter how much we all care for Harley, everyone knows you love her the most." Sheriff said. Again, a round of agreements from the residents.

"And you all expect me to know how to raise a kid?" Doc raised an eye frame.

"You _are_ a doctor." Luigi shrugged.

" _Sí."_ Guido nodded.

"We know you've loved that kid since you helped bring her into the world." Lizzie chuckled. "You'll be fine."

Doc wanted to protest, but looking at everyone's expressions told him it would be futile. "I'll think about it." That quelled the townsfolk for now, and everyone dispersed to go about their business. Doc turned and began driving towards the clinic again, but he glanced into his rearview mirror and noticed someone following him. He turned around to fully face his follower. "Hey Red. What do you need? Come to offer to be Harley's dad?"

Red smiled and shook his front end. "Harley needs you." Without another word, the fire truck turned and drove off.

Doc stared after him for a moment before driving into the clinic. Red never spoke much, or really at all for that matter, so the townsfolk tended to listen carefully whenever he did say something. Doc silently made his way over towards the cot where Harley slept, wanting to check on her one last time. Harley cuddled with her toy, snuggled under the blanket and sleeping soundly. Doc nodded in satisfaction, confident he could go to sleep without worrying about Harley having a problem.

But for some reason, Doc found himself unable to move. He stared at Harley, almost awed by the peaceful look on her face. The words of the Radiator Springs residents rang through his mind. He never really considered himself the fatherly type. The townsfolk were his family, but if he had to place labels he would call them his brothers and sisters (maybe with the exception of Lizzie, who was more of the mother/grandmother type). Now everyone expects him to be the surrogate father of this little girl? It couldn't be denied how much he cared for her. He often liked to keep an eye on her when her parents or grandparents were busy, especially if Mater was babysitting. Harley shared a strong bond with Mater, and if she had to choose a second favorite it seemed to be Doc. She loved talking with him, and the few moments she actually sat still were generally spent with Doc himself.

Harley needs you. That's what Red told him.

Harley needs you.

 _Harley_ needs you.

Harley _needs_ you.

Harley needs _you._

It finally clicked. Harley didn't just need a guardian. She needed a father. Someone to watch over her. To scare away her nightmares and make sure she always knows she is loved. To simply be there during the most important moments of her life, and maybe even when she wouldn't want him there. Doc came to the realization that he wanted to be that father for her. She didn't deserve a man like John as her father. Harley was such a sweet kid. She needed someone with ten times the heart and at least twice as much integrity.

Doc wanted to be her father. He wanted to be play that role in her life.

"All right, kiddo." Doc breathed, gently nuzzling Harley's head and careful to not wake her. "You want a dad? I guess I can be there for you."

And he always would be.


	23. Hermano

_**Hermano**_

He continued to stare in the mirror, analyzing every bit of his new paintjob. It was definitely a different pattern scheme than his last one. Last time he had mostly a white underbelly with a forest green color on top and black accents. Now, he looked very different. He was mostly white now, save for the natural black part of his muzzle. The "wings" of his landing gear housing were navy blue, and so was his roof and the top half of his tail. A part of his roof and the attached visor above his eyes had been painted like a helmet, with a blue and gold stripe and a police badge design. He still had his 301 numbering on one side, and on one side of his tail were the words "Helicopter Patrol." A logo had been painted on his flank: a helicopter with the words "California Helicopter Patrol" stamped around the outside.

Blade Ranger took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had also been outfitted with a green visor for his eyes, but he decided to keep it off for now. His icy blue eyes gave his new look another once-over. After several small parts, he finally landed a major role for a new TV show called _"CHoPs"_. The director seemed nice enough, and he instructed Blade to get this new paintjob and then meet with him today for something very important. Blade glanced to the wall clock of his L.A. apartment. It was almost time.

"Well," Blade sighed. "I guess I shouldn't try to avoid this."

As Blade made his way through the studio, he couldn't stop smiling the entire time. The awe he felt from seeing the studio for the first time had yet to wear off. He figured that, after spending some time practically living here shooting for the show, he'd get used to it. Blade finally found set A113, where the director asked him to meet. It only took a few minutes to locate said director—a red-orange 1975 BMW with a thick black grill plate mustache—out of the crowd of crew members.

"Hey, there he is!" the director laughed. He looked to the other vehicles who joined him. "Ladies and gentlemen, meet our newest acting prodigy: Blade Ranger."

Blade felt his face growing hot. "Uh, I wouldn't exactly call myself a prodigy, sir."

"Kid, we saw you at auditions." A female forklift laughed. "You have more raw acting talent than a lot of other guys your age." Blade stuttered a thanks, hoping he didn't look too pathetic in front of them.

"Right this way, Blade." The director instructed, leading Blade towards the doors. "I got a special job for you."

"Oh yeah?" Blade asked, curious.

"Don't worry, it'll be easy. At least it should be." The director assured. "See, we won't start filming until this weekend, and I don't want you to feel like you're working with strangers. When you start working, I want you to feel comfortable. Over the next couple days, you'll meet everyone else in the cast and crew. But for today, I want you to spend some time with your co-star."

"Co-star?" Blade repeated.

"Yeah." The director nodded. "We got two protagonists for the show: that's you and the other guy we hired a while back. I want you two to be able to work together, hence the job I have for you today." He paused, forcing Blade to do the same, and began looking around the area. "Now if we could just find him."

Blade heard he was joining a good-size cast, but he didn't realize he and just one other actor would be the focus points. It certainly raised some of the anxiousness he felt, but he steeled his nerves. This was what he always wanted, after all. But he didn't realize he would work so closely with just one actor. Blade knew that making friends in the world of theater and acting was judged on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes, you would enter into a cast and crew who became like a second family. Other times, you came in and the relationships were very neutral. Then there were the times when friction arose amongst actors and crew members. Blade really, really, _really_ hoped the last scenario wouldn't be the case here.

The sound of propeller blades furiously chopping the air caught Blade's attention, and he glanced skyward. "Head's up!" he yelped, forcing himself and the director to duck down as someone zipped past them. Blade swore the "someone" came inches from his own propellers. Looking up, he saw the culprit to be a Hughes 500D helicopter with a paintjob almost identical to his own.

 _Is that him?_ Blade wondered. The Hughes whooped and laughed as he did several loops in the air.

"Nick Enrique Lopez!" the director snapped. "What have I told you about flying like that around the studio?!"

"What have I told _you_ about how fun it is?" the Hughes laughed.

The director rolled his eyes. "That boy is gonna be the death of me." He raised his voice to shout at Nick again. "Get your tail down here, Lopez! Ya gotta meet your new co-star!"

"Ooh!" Nick suddenly seemed extra-excited. "Fresh meat!"

Blade would've paled if it were possible, and he gulped inaudibly. The director sighed. "Lopez." He intoned.

"Eh, calm down!" Nick laughed as he landed before them. "I was only joking."

"I don't find you funny." The director droned.

"Sure ya do!" Nick laughed. "Ya can't even deny it!"

The director sighed, but grinned. "Well save it for another time. Nick, meet your new co-star."

Nick finally looked to Blade, and the larger helicopter could see Nick also didn't wear his eye visor to reveal his bright and alert amber eyes. He looped around Blade, giving him a once-over and humming to himself in thought. Blade noticed Nick didn't have wheels for landing gear. Instead, he had a pair of skids that made twin clanging noises every time Nick hopped around to move. Nick finally stopped right in front of Blade, staring at him. Blade gave a friendly—albeit nervous—smile.

Nick's eyes narrowed in thought. "What's the name, big guy?"

"Uh, Blade." Blade introduced. "Blade Ranger."

The smaller helicopter continued to stare, almost unnerving Blade. "You sure he won't be stuck-up like the last guy?" Nick asked the director, turning to him.

"Nick, the last guy couldn't even act." The director said. "Blade here has plenty of raw talent and a good personality. I assure you, he will be fine."

Nick cast a sideways glance to Blade. Something in his eyes told Blade that Nick didn't fully believe the director. "How can I know for sure?"

"Because you two are going to spend the day together." The director said simply.

Nick and Blade stared at the director. "What?" They asked simultaneously.

"This recasting for Blade's part was a last-minute deal." The director explained. "But your roles require you two to act like childhood friends. Filming for the first episode begins this weekend, and I need you two to at least pretend that you're good friends. So you two are going to spend the day together to get to know each other."

"Huh?" Blade and Nick asked at the same time.

"It's not that difficult." The director assured. "Just taxi around the studio, go get a coffee, do _something._ But I want your friendship on the show to at least look a little believable." He drove off. "Have fun, you two!"

Nick and Blade stuttered protests, but the director already disappeared. The two helicopters sighed and exchanged looks.

 _Huh. I guess this could be worse._ Nick thought.

 _I'm gonna die._ Blade thought.

"So, you seen much of the studio?" Nick asked.

"Uh, not really." Blade admitted. "In fact, I got lost my first day here."

"Eh, _no problemo._ " Nick assured. "Come on. I'll give you a tour."

"Thanks." Blade said. "I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it." Nick said dismissively. "All new guys go through it in their first couple days. Besides, the place is pretty cool when you get a chance to look around." Blade nodded in agreement. As a child, he always dreamed of being on a real Hollywood studio. Nick had already spent a couple years at the studio, and he proved very knowledgeable as he described the different set buildings and what many of them were famous for. As they continued with the tour, the talk soon became a mix of describing the buildings and Blade's and Nick's personal lives.

"So, what kind of acting experience do you have?" Nick asked as they made their way around.

"Nothing professional, really." Blade said. "Unless you count the little skits I did as a kid for my family."

Nick barked a laugh. "You kiddin'? When I was a kid, the cable was so terrible that my family always had me and my siblings do little shows for everyone during the holidays."

Blade chuckled. "Well, apart from that, I did a lot of drama in school."

"Nice! Me too!" Nick said. "What'd you do?"

"A variety of different shows." Blade answered with a shrug. "Straight plays, musicals, that kind of stuff. We even did _Grease._ "

"Not bad." Nick mused. "High school theater was the big thing for me, too. We had a good range. You're looking at the first Latino Romeo in the history of Lexington High School, New Mexico."

"Romeo, huh?" Blade chuckled. "With your reputation, you must've played him well."

"So I've heard." Nick chuckled. "Admittedly, Shakespeare is my guilty pleasure."

"Not a bad choice." Blade said. "I actually enjoy musicals myself, but I can't sing to save my life."

"I dunno." Nick smirked. "I'll bet you sound nice as a baritone."

"You'd lose that bet." Blade laughed.

Nick chuckled along with him. _All right, this guy isn't half-bad._

"So is there much to do between shooting?" Blade asked.

"Well, I spend most of my time messing with the crew or flying." Nick said. "You should see my loops."

"Loops?" Blade repeated.

"Oh yeah!" Nick's eyes brightened considerably. "Around here, they call me 'Loopin' Lopez!' Just wait until you see my inside loop. I'm the only helicopter in the whole world who can do it!"

"You bragging about that loop again?" a human crew member chortled as she passed by.

"Is it really that special?" Blade laughed.

"Well, Nick does have a point." The crew member admitted. "His signature inside loop is one that no other helicopter has ever been able to perform."

"Told ya." Nick snickered, hopping off with a new air of pride in his body language. The crew member shook her head, but continued to giggle as she walked off.

Blade chuckled as he hurried after Nick. "You really like to fly, huh?"

"Of course I do." Nick spoke as though it were obvious. "You don't?"

"I like it, but I wouldn't say that I'm obsessed like you are." Blade said.

"Come on, flying is a part of who we are." Nick stopped and looked out towards the distance. Blade suddenly discovered they had stopped next to a small runway. A ways away rested the city of Los Angeles. It was the perfect view, and Blade had to wonder if Nick came out here often. Blade noticed a content, almost joyful look in Nick's eyes.

"I guess I never really thought about it." Blade said.

"But we're aircraft." Nick protested. "The word 'air' is in our name. Other vehicles were made to stay on the ground. But we were made to fly. Aircraft were given wings and rotors." He gave his own rotor blades a spin for emphasis. "We weren't meant to spend our lives on the ground. The sky is open for us, so why not go play in it?"

Blade stared at Nick for a while, awed by the almost poetic nature of Nick's love for flying. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but the day he learned to fly was an experience of pure freedom. Remembering that day helped Blade to understand Nick's feelings about being able to fly. Nick's grin became almost infectious, and Blade found himself smiling broadly.

An idea came to him.

Nick became aware of the fact that the wind picked up around him, and he noticed Blade started spinning his rotors. "Uh, what're you doing, _chico_?"

"Well, the sky's open to us." Blade said, a grin still on his lips. "Let's go play in it."

Nick stared at Blade for a moment before he broke into smiles, and he began spinning his rotors as well. He and Blade took to the skies, heading towards the city. They soared over the buildings and streets, getting a perfect bird's eye view of the place as they passed the city and headed out towards the park area. Now over clearer air with no traffic, Nick took the opportunity to start his aerobatic maneuvers. Blade hovered in place and watched in amazement as Nick shot through the air and did several loops, laughing and whooping the entire time.

"Yeah!" Nick laughed. "I'd like to see another helicopter do what I can!"

Blade rolled his eyes. "He's nuts."

Then Nick did something amazing. He shot up into the air and performed a loop like Blade had never seen before. Blade knew at once this must've been the inside loop Nick talked so much about. Okay, he had to admit it: what Nick did was pretty cool.

Nick came out of the loop smiling like a Cheshire Cat, and he noticed Blade staring at him with his jaw dropped. Nick's smile became a mix of pride and sheepishness. "What do you think?"

"That was amazing!" Blade breathed. "How did you do that?"

"Lots of practice." Nick chuckled. "And some trial and error."

"Well it was cool." Blade laughed. "Nice job."

Nick's smile grew, if it were possible at that moment. "Hey, why don't we head back to the studio? I'm starving!"

"Sure." Blade agreed. He and Nick began making their way towards the studio again. Blade couldn't stop smiling, and secretly he felt relieved that things were going so well. It came as an immense relief.

* * *

Nick showed Blade the mess hall of the studio, and thankfully the food looked pretty good. Nick joked that it was better than high school cafeteria food but not exactly gourmet, to which the chef in the mess hall threatened to throw his pot at him if he didn't shut up.

While the two helicopters ate, they began exchanging stories about their families and childhoods. Blade didn't think his story was all that interesting in comparison to Nick's. After all, Nick was born in Southern Mexico and his family moved to the States after the death of his father. Nick had always loved acting, so he pursued his dream and quickly became a success. Blade also loved acting, but he used to hide it from his father in fear of disappointing him.

"I still don't know how I managed to hide the fact I was going to rehearsals after school almost every day." Blade chuckled. "But I did. Then opening night came. I convinced my dad into thinking I was going on a camping trip with friends. But after the show, I was shocked to see my dad coming into the dressing room."

"He found you?" Nick asked, entranced by the story.

"Found me? He watched the entire show with my mother!" Blade corrected. "I was so scared of his reaction. But after I finally confessed the truth, he told me he was so proud. He even complimented me on my acting skills."

"Wow." Nick breathed. "Good to know he was proud."

Blade sighed, smiling softly. "Yeah. After that, he and I grew a lot closer."

"Wish I could say the same about my dad." Nick scoffed softly. "Then again, I never really knew him. Kinda hard to miss someone you've never met. But my brother knew Dad pretty well. Spent a lot of time with him."

Blade nodded in understanding. "You're brother older? Younger?"

"Older by about ten years." Nick said. "Mamá told me that Ben was originally going to be her only child, but I sort of came as a surprise. After we moved to the States, my mother even adopted a little girl."

"You get along well with your siblings?" Blade asked.

"Eh, more or less." Nick shrugged. "You know, we got along as siblings do. I've grown closer to my sister than Ben these days." He paused, looking past Blade. His amber eyes fell into a small glare. _"Hablar del demonio."_

Blade followed Nick's gaze to see another Hughes 500D hopping into the mess hall, coming right towards them with a paper sack in his teeth. The Hughes was beige in color with a black underbelly, and he had deep brown eyes currently in a mildly irritated glare. Blade figured this must be Ben Lopez, Nick's brother, but the glare in Ben's and Nick's eyes forced him to keep his trap shut.

" _Que pasa, hermano?"_ Ben greeted as he approached and set the paper sack down.

" _Nada."_ Nick replied. "Just getting to know my co-star. This is Blade. Blade, meet my brother, Ben."

Blade smiled in a friendly manner. "Hey. Pleasure to meet you."

Ben cast Blade a disdainful look. _"Que pasa."_

Blade's smile faltered, and he got the distinct feeling that Ben already didn't like him. _Oh boy._

"Mamá wanted me to bring this for you." Ben nudged the paper sack forward. "She was worried you had forgotten to pack a lunch."

Nick looked to the lunch sack, his eyes going soft. "Why didn't she bring it herself?"

"Taking care of _hermanita._ " Ben said. "She's sick again."

Nick chuckled. "Because she works too hard."

Ben cast a glare to Blade, who had only watched and listened to the conversation. "What're you lookin' at, _burro_?"

"Hey!" Nick snapped, speaking to his brother rapidly in Spanish. Ben retorted back in the same language. Blade, having only studied Spanish for a couple years in high school, didn't pick up much. But when Ben turned to leave, he shot Blade one last glare before disappearing. Nick rolled his eyes and sighed, taking up his sack lunch and dumping its contents out on the table. He started eating the sandwich his mother packed, despite having recently eaten. Blade watched him, suddenly feeling awkward. Nick shoved the apple from the lunch towards Blade.

"Oh, uh—"

"Just eat it. I won't be able to finish this all myself. But touch those cookies and you're dead."

Blade noticed a couple homemade cookies wrapped in plastic wrap, and he chuckled as he took the apple and chips Nick shoved towards him. He thought about asking Nick about what just happened, but he decided against it. Nick's relationship with his brother really wasn't any of his business.

But after finishing lunch, Blade noticed Nick's attitude took a drastic turn. Nick decided they should go get a better look at the set where they'd do a lot of filming, but he didn't speak the entire way towards the building. Blade wanted to say something to ease the stress of what happened, but whenever he opened his mouth, nothing came out.

He didn't think things could get any worse…and he was quickly proven wrong.

"Hey guys, check it out!" a voice called that made Nick freeze in his tracks. "It's our favorite little whelp."

Blade and Nick looked to the owner of the voice: a black sedan, joined by two other sedans colored green and orange. Blade's eyes narrowed a little in confusion, but he noticed Nick's eyes drop into an irritated glare.

"Don't you punks have better things to do?" Nick growled.

"Why? You worried you're gonna be late bouncing around like you do?" the black sedan laughed.

"They ought to call you Bunny-Copter!" the orange sedan jeered.

"More like the Hopping Helicopter." The green sedan sniggered.

"Ooh, the 'Hopping Helicopter.'" Nick's tone practically dripped with sarcasm. "Never heard that one before."

"I haven't seen this hunk of helicopter before." The black sedan mused, circling Nick and Blade but eyeing the latter. "What's up, Bunny Boy? Couldn't fight your own battles so you had to hire a bodyguard?"

"Hey, I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me!" Nick snapped. "Just buzz off."

"Or what, Hopper?" the black sedan goaded, smacking Nick's landing gear with one tire. "You gonna do something about it?"

"If he doesn't, I will." Blade growled, finally having enough of the bullies. "Like he said, buzz off." He began nudging Nick away from the cars. "Come on. Let's get to the set."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Fine." He and Blade began departing.

"Hey come on, ya Hopper!" the black sedan taunted, his buddies joining in the name-calling. Blade glared at them for a moment before looking to Nick. The smaller helicopter glared straight ahead, but he also seemed upset. The words hit hard, no matter how much Nick became used to them. The fact that he had landing skids instead of wheels seemed to be the one thing nobody would let him forget, least of all those three. Blade wanted to comfort the helicopter, but suddenly the black sedan appeared in their path.

"Move it, punk." Nick growled.

"I'm not done with you yet, Hopper." The black sedan sneered.

"Well we're done with you." Nick snapped, beginning to hop around the sedan and even shoving him aside.

"You turn your tail to me, I'll run you over like a speedbump!" The black sedan threatened.

"I'd like to see you try." Nick scoffed, continuing on with Blade right beside him.

The black sedan suddenly revved his engine, and—to the shock of his buddies and most of the people there—he shot forward and aimed to ram Nick. The Hughes helicopter turned and prepared to take the hit, but he suddenly found the _"CHoPs"_ symbol in front of his eyes. Blade grunted in pain as the black sedan slammed into him, shoving him back a few inches and pushing into Nick. Nick's eyes widened, shocked from Blade jumping between him and the attack. The sedan looked surprised too, bouncing back and staring at the larger helicopter.

"Blade!" Nick yelped, finally coming to his senses and moving to stand in front of Blade. "Are you okay?" He winced when he saw the nasty dent in Blade's side, and he realized he probably asked a stupid question.

"I'm fine." Blade said through gritted teeth, his eyes still squeezed shut from the impact. He forced his eyes to open and tried to will the throbbing pain in his side to go away. "I'm fine."

"You're _not_ fine." Nick protested, wondering how he could help.

"Hey!" everyone jumped when a black security car drove up to the scene, accompanied by several other guards. "What's going on here?"

"Blade was attacked." Nick said immediately, despite Blade's attempts to calm him.

The lead security car glared at the sedans, who suddenly looked much more timid. "I thought I told you punks not to cause any more trouble. Nick, take your friend here to the infirmary. I'll handle this."

Nick only nodded, guiding Blade away. He couldn't stop staring at Blade the entire time. _Why? Why did you do that?_

* * *

"Ow!" Blade yelped.

"Oh stop squirming." The psych-man mechanic huffed as she continued working on the dent in Blade's side. "Honestly, it's your own fault. Although I am rather glad someone finally stood up to those punks. Most of us just tolerated their idiocy."

"I can understand that." Blade said, grimacing a little. "But there comes a time when you have to stop putting up with it and do something."

The mechanic smiled. "Well said." She patted the metal she recently finished sanding. "There you go! Give it a day or two to heal and then get that spot repainted. But you're good to go."

"Thanks." Blade said gratefully, exiting the infirmary. He still felt sore, but he could live with it. He just hoped the director wouldn't get too angry. All he wanted was to help.

"Blade!"

The shout nearly made Blade jump out of his paintjob, and he realized he became lost in his thoughts. He already made it out of the infirmary, and he saw Nick hopping up to him with a worried look on his face.

"You okay?" Nick asked.

"I'm fine." Blade assured, still a little surprised. "You…..waited for me?"

Nick looked down, sheepish. "Well, I was worried. I just…uh….you know, wanted to make sure that pretty face didn't end up too damaged." He smirked at Blade, who rolled his eyes.

"It'll take more than something like this to destroy that." Blade chuckled.

Nick laughed. "Then come on. Daddy Director heard about what happened and wants to check up on us." He led the way as he and Blade started towards Set A113, but Blade could almost see the gears turning in Nick's mind.

"Something bothering you?" Blade finally asked when they reached the door to the set.

Nick cast Blade a sideways glance, but quickly looked away. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"That. Put yourself between that moron and me. I mean, you got hurt because of that, _idiota."_

"What was I supposed to do? Just let him ram you like that?"

"I never asked you to do that."

"You didn't have to. That's what friends are for."

Nick froze, staring at Blade. Blade froze as well when he realized what he said.

"Uh…..I mean…" Blade stumbled over his words. "Just…if you….you know…consider us…..friends….."

Nick continued to stare at Blade. He hadn't really noticed it before, but he was suddenly seeing Blade for who he was and not just his role as an actor. Now that Nick was truly looking, he could see Blade as someone who liked to look out for others. He was loyal and strong, and those were qualities Nick admired greatly.

"I…uh…." Nick cleared his throat. "Look, I never really had anyone looking out for me. I learned to be strong on my own…and I'm okay with that….."

Blade gave a little shrug. "I dunno. Sounds lonely to me. There's nothing wrong with someone being there to have your tail if you need help."

Nick went silent, but after a moment he started smiling again. "Thanks, Blade."

Blade grinned. "No problem, Nick."

"Hey Lopez! Ranger!" a crew member called from the door of the set. "Director's lookin' for you two and he's getting antsy!" He darted back inside the building.

Nick chuckled. "Let's go, _hermano._ "

Blade's eyes squinted a little in confusion. "Er-mahn-oh?"

" _Hermano._ " Nick repeated. "It means 'brother.'" He hopped off into the set.

Blade mouthed out the word a few times before deciding he rather liked it. His smile grew as he hurried after Nick.

 _All right, Nick Loopin' Lopez. You ain't half-bad._

* * *

 **A/N: I figured we needed to give Blade and Nick a little love, because you know how rock-solid their friendship is.**


	24. Prank War

**Prank War**

It had been a beautiful day at Piston Peak Air Attack, complete with twittering birds and a clear blue sky and warm summer air. Best of all, a fire hadn't broken out in a few days. Everyone went about their business, as content as could be…

…and then jumped out of their paintjobs when Sky's piercing scream rang out across the base.

Those who knew Sky well could identify this scream as one of genuine surprise and a hint of anger, meaning she was most likely in danger. Naturally, since they loved her the most out of everyone on the base, Blade and Dusty were the first ones to drop what they were doing and rush over to the source of the outburst. Nick, who was napping peacefully in Blade's hanger, woke with a start and followed (staying invisible, of course). The firefighters remembered something about Sky mentioning she wanted to take a shower, and Dusty's mind instantly jumped to the worst-case scenarios like rattlesnake bites and viciously mauled by a bear.

"Raven?" Blade called as he, Dusty, and Nick rounded the corner to the entrance of the showers.

"Sky!" Dusty called. "Sky are you…" He, Blade, and Nick screeched to a halt. "…..oh…..kay….."

"Damn it, Maru!" Sky screeched, smacking the mechanic with one of her orange flip-flops. "You perverted little tug!"

"I am so sorry!" Maru yelped, trying to shield his roof with his tines.

Blade, Nick, and Dusty weren't sure if they were supposed to laugh, avert their eyes, stop the fight, ask what happened, or any mix of the options. Maru cowered under Sky's attacks, keeping his eyes down. Sky was wrapped in a towel, covering her breasts and down to her thighs. The sunlight glistened off her wet and soapy skin, and conditioner dripped from her hair. But Sky's natural beauty was rather overshadowed by the murderous glare she locked onto Maru as she continued to smack him.

"What is your deal, Maru?" Sky growled.

"Hey, it was an honest mistake!" Maru protested, happy that Sky finally paused in her assault. "I didn't even know you were in there!"

"Ever heard of knocking?" Sky snapped.

"Well most people sing or hum or talk in the shower!" Maru countered.

"That's your excuse?" Sky scoffed. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?"

"Oh relax!" Maru scoffed. "It ain't nothing I haven't seen before."

"Maybe in a medical book, but not on me." Sky sassed.

"I've seen you without clothes on. You've come into my shop needing medical attention before." Maru shrugged his tines.

Sky glared harder, if it were possible at that moment. "You saw me without a shirt on, but at least I was still wearing my jeans and this—" She gestured to her chest. "—was covered!"

"What's the difference?" Maru demanded.

Sky gave a furious growl, looking ready to squash Maru like a bug. Maru shrunk back, actually getting scared. Sky huffed, turned on her heel, and marched back into the shower house while slamming the door shut after her.

Maru sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry! That was a stupid thing to say!" Sky didn't answer, and Maru let out a breath as he tried to quell his anxiety. Then he turned and suddenly realized Blade and Dusty still standing there. "Uh…"

"Do we want to know what happened?" Blade asked.

"Hey, it ain't completely my fault!" Maru said quickly. "I thought someone left the water running in there. I mean, I saw everyone else around and Sky was reading last time I checked. So I, you know, went in there to turn off the water and Sky was…..in there…and she was…..uh…"

Dusty got a sly smirk on his lips. "Maru…..did you see Sky—"

"NO!" Maru growled. "I didn't see nothing! It was so steamy in there I didn't see a thing!" He drove off, grumbling to himself.

"'Steamy' he says." Nick snickered quietly. Blade shot him a warning look, the only thing he could do with Dusty still there.

Dusty chuckled in a mix of amusement and pity. He waited until the base mechanic was out of earshot. "So, you think Maru actually saw anything?"

"Nah." Blade said. "It's Maru. You would know if he saw anything."

Dusty laughed again, and he moved over to the door and knocked on it. "Hey Sky!"

"Don't come in here, Dusty!" Sky shouted from inside.

"I won't!" Dusty laughed. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine." Sky said in a crisp tone. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" Dusty replied in a tone that mimicked Sky's. He laughed again, and Blade chuckled and rolled his eyes. They left Sky to her shower, assuring the rest of the worried base team that Sky was fine.

Of course, word got around about what happened, and at one point during the day Blade found Maru chasing the male Smokejumpers around. He waved a hefty wrench and shouted death threats, and Blade could tell from the Jumpers' amused grins that they were totally ribbing Maru for what happened.

That night, at the bonfire, Sky gave Maru the silent treatment and only acknowledged him long enough to shoot him an irritated glare.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened." Maru droned. "Honest mistake."

"It was an honest mistake that you decided to become a Peeping Tom?" Sky droned back. The male Smokejumpers snickered quietly, trying to keep it down before Maru could throw one of his tools at them.

"I ain't a Peepin' Tom." Maru huffed.

"Yeah, sure." Drip sniggered.

"PERVERT!" Avalanche bellowed.

Maru growled dangerously. Luckily for him, Sky also became irritated and threw a pebble at them. "Hey, come on." Drip shrugged his claw scoop. "At least Maru got something nice to look at." He and Avalanche laughed and tapped their scoop blades together in a high-five.

"I did not!" Maru snapped. He suddenly realized what he said and he caught sight of Sky's glare. "I mean, yes. No. That's not what I meant! I just, uh…." He groaned in frustration. "I'll be in my shop!" He turned and drove off, grumbling.

The male Smokejumpers cracked up laughing, but they quickly quieted when Blade locked his Glare of Doom onto them. The boys gulped and shrunk down under their chief's gaze. "Despite the amusement you all get from today's little incident, I expect my team members to treat one another with respect. I don't expect you to be gentlemen, but the least you can do is avoid being crude."

"Sorry Chief." Blackout and Drip said, Avalanche nodding.

"SORRY RAVEN!" Avalanche shouted.

Sky rolled her eyes and shook her head. _Boys._

As everyone dispersed to bed, Nick decided to approach Sky. "So you sure you're okay, _Cuervo?_ "

"I'm fine, Nick." Sky assured, climbing up to her hammock. "Maru just startled me, that's all."

Nick smiled, and he suddenly got a crafty look in his eyes. "You know, if you ever wanted to get back at him—"

"Nick Enrique Lopez." Blade droned from his spot on his bed. "Don't even think about it."

"Aw, come on!" Nick whined.

"Raven is already evil enough without your help." Blade said, closing his eyes and settling down to sleep.

Nick huffed. "You're no fun."

Sky laughed. "That's okay, Nick. Thanks, anyway." She and the ghost settled down to rest, and Sky snuggled into her blanket. She grinned to herself. _Besides, I already have a plan._

* * *

Maru tended to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to work. He knew that, once daylight emerged from the horizon, the firefighters were on-duty and could be needed at any moment. That being said, Maru never fully woke up until he's had some coffee in his system. So as he pushed himself out of his bed, he could only think about a nice big cup of coffee that he often compared to the Elixir of Life. Without the morning drink, Maru would be about as lively as a zombie.

But when he looked in the mirror after splashing some water on his windshield, he instantly became wide-awake.

" _SKYLAR AMELIA RILEY!"_

Blade, Sky, Nick, Windlifter, and Cabbie were often the only ones who also woke early in the morning, so they easily heard Maru's outburst and hurried over to see what the problem was. Blade noticed Sky had a cheeky smirk on her lips, and he got a sinking feeling in his stomach. When they finally arrived at the garage, they came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Maru. Nick struggled to hold back his laughter while Sky had an innocent look on her face. Cabbie smirked and even Blade had trouble keeping his snickers at bay. Windlifter remained stoic as ever, even when he was amused.

Maru stood there, fuming, with a mustache above his lips and sideburns next to his eyes and the words "I'm with stupid" under an arrow that pointed right at him printed on his side, all of it drawn in what was hopefully just a marker.

"Hey Maru." Sky piped up, crossing her arms with that cheeky grin still on her lips. "You got a little somethin' right here." She tapped her lip for emphasis.

Maru glared furiously, but it only made him look sillier. "This had better not be Sharpie, kid."

Sky shrugged. "I guess you'll find out when you wash up. Better hope there aren't any Peeping Toms around." She turned and walked off, Nick following her as the two of them laughed quietly.

"You look pretty good with a mustache." Cabbie commented.

"Shut up." Maru growled, grumbling to himself as he made his way to the showers. _So that's how you want to play, Riley? All right._

* * *

"And that is why you should never underestimate the power of a Navy brat." Sky said, twirling a black marker in her hand skillfully. The Smokejumpers, Dusty, and Dipper looked amazed, having sat completely entranced at Sky's story of revenge against Maru.

"I can't believe you did that!" Dipper breathed.

Dusty laughed. "I can."

"GO RAVEN!" Avalanche cheered.

"It was definitely fun." Sky admitted. "You should see the prank wars we have in Propwash Junction every April. Sure is a lot of fun, but after a while you gotta get creative."

"You better be careful, though." Drip warned. "Maru will strike back with a vengeance."

Sky scoffed. "Please. I am not afraid of Maru."

"Okay." Drip shrugged. "I tried to warn you."

"We'll say something nice at your funeral." Blackout added. They all laughed, and Sky rolled her eyes.

"Hey Raven!" Cabbie called as he passed. "Chief is requesting your presence in the kitchen."

"Hm. Wonder what's up." Sky murmured as she jogged off, waving to the others. Her first theory was that Blade was trying to cook again and might need her help, otherwise he would've come to get her himself.

Sky got to the door and opened it. "Hey Blade! What do you—whoa!" Sky suddenly felt her feet slipping across the wet stripe of tile on the floor, and she began slipping and sliding as she tried to regain the traction in her sneakers. She yelped as she began falling, and she quickly grabbed the closest thing to her to steady herself. This turned out to be a seemingly random rope, and when Sky pulled on it she found her vision clouded with white.

Maru smirked from his vantage point at the door, and he quickly snapped a picture of his handiwork. He caught Sky glaring at him. "Boo!" Maru laughed, slamming the door shut and driving off.

"Get back here you little insect!" Sky shouted, slipping a little more on the wet tile.

Maru hurried over to the Smokejumpers, Dusty, and Dipper. "Hey guys! You wanna see a ghost caught on camera?"

Everyone was confused, and when Blade heard this he felt a wave of panic at the thought of Maru possibly discovering Nick. But he calmed down when he saw what Maru meant: his picture was of Sky, covered head to toe in flour. Soon, Sky marched out to them while growling in irritation, still covered in flour and leaving dusty white footprints behind her. Maru sniggered in amusement.

Sky looked quite the opposite of amused. "You think this is funny? You mess with the bull, you get the horns, buddy."

"Yeah?" Maru goaded. "Bring it on, girlie! I ain't afraid of you!"

"Oh yeah?" Sky scoffed with a smirk. "You want me to bring it on? Fine! This means war!"

Maru laughed. "Do your worst, kid."

Everyone else just watched the challenge and tried their best not to laugh. Blade rolled his eyes. "Oh boy. Here we go."

* * *

The ensuing Prank War lasted for about a week as Maru and Sky exchanged blows. Of course, they had enough sense to avoid things that would impede on the team's ability to fight fires, but that didn't stop the creativity from both sides. Everyone else offered little to no assistance besides the occasional lure. Blade even forbade Nick from helping Sky, his excuse being that Nick was an unfair advantage due to his experience with practical jokes.

The antics ensued marvelously. One day Sky would be setting a paint trap that turned Maru into a rainbow of colors, the next day Maru would be putting fake spiders in Sky's hammock while she slept. Sky hid Maru's coffee and switched it out for a black tea which Maru instantly spat out once it hit his tongue. Maru then got revenge by somehow managing to get Sky onto an air mattress in the middle of the night and cast her off on the lake. Because she didn't have her radio, she ended up swimming back to shore. But it in no way ended there.

"I gotta admit, she's good." Maru said as he gave Dusty's gearbox a checkup.

Dusty chuckled, trying to stay still. "She's had some good practice. She, Chug, Dottie, and I started doing an annual prank war every April Fool's Day. Plus, she's a Jolly Wrench. Lots of Navy training comes in handy for stuff like this."

"Yeah, well she's still gotta deal with me." Maru reminded him. "I have a lot of practice from dealing with the Smokejumpers for so long."

"I don't think I've ever seen Sky so determined to win." Dusty said. "She always did pull the best pranks, but for you she seems to be pulling out all the stops."

"Aw, I'm flattered." Maru laughed. "Can't wait to see her give up."

Dusty scoffed. "Give up? Sky won't ever throw in the towel. She's too stubborn. You're the one who ought to be careful. You never know when she'll strike."

"Oh please." Maru rolled his eyes. "She may have gotten me a few times, but I've learned her tricks. No way is she gonna catch me off-guard again." He rolled over to his workbench and picked up a small wrench. But he felt a tug and noticed a string attached to the tool. His jerk on the wrench activated a pulley system that unzipped a bag above Maru's head. Before he could fully register what happened in time to duck away, Maru became coated in the retardant that fell from the bag. Dusty burst out laughing at the sight.

"What was that you were saying about learning Sky's tricks?" Dusty stuttered out between his laughs.

Maru grumbled. "Yeah, whatever."

"What about my tricks?" Sky asked as she appeared at the entrance of the garage. She smirked at Maru. "Hey, that's a nice color on you."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh while you can." Maru taunted. "My vengeance will be swift and decisive!"

"Can't wait to see how you'll top that one." Sky goaded, laughing as she walked off.

Maru huffed, sneezing a few times, but resumed his checkup on Dusty. Still, Sky had a point. How _would_ he top this one? It would have to be something clever. Something sneaky. Something dubious. Something that would catch Sky completely off-guard.

 _Just wait for your opportunity._ Maru decided.

* * *

Opportunity came the next day.

A call came to the base after dinner. Jammer needed some air support in a search-and-rescue mission of a young boy who became separated from his group while hiking. Blade, Sky, and Windlifter went out to help with the search. Nick followed, helping to cover more ground. It took most of the night, but they finally found the kid (thankfully unharmed). All three of them returned to base dead tired while Nick seemed hyperactive as ever. Sky even fell asleep riding in Blade's hoist hatch, and Blade didn't have the heart to wake her up; nor did he really have the proper brain function to bother with it. So he settled down on his bed and simply kept his hatch door open so Sky could breathe. He soon fell asleep, out cold in mere seconds.

Later that night, Maru managed to sneak into Blade's hanger with his supplies. He knew if he was caught, Blade would probably kill him. But if he could do this, it might tip the scales of this prank war in his favor. So he bit his lip to keep his chuckles at bay as he quietly drove over towards Blade's hoist hatch. Sky slept soundly, her head next to the opening of the hatch. Maru fought the urge to laugh deviously.

 _This is gonna be good._

The next morning, Blade slept an hour past his alarm to ensure he would be alert and awake for the rest of the day. As the sunlight hit his eyes, he began blinking them open and yawning.

"Come on, Raven." Blade said. "Up and at 'em."

Sky moaned tiredly. "Oh all right."

Blade chuckled as Sky shifted around and tried to get up without falling over from her sleepiness. "You can go to bed early tonight to catch up on your sleep, all right?"

"No, no, that's okay." Sky yawned and stretched. "What if a lightning storm comes through?"

"Then I'll alert the team at dawn." Blade assured. "A sleepy firefighter isn't a very effective one."

Sky couldn't argue with that. Maybe because of her sheer exhaustion. "Fine."

"Hey guys!" Nick called excitedly as he popped up in front of them. The two firefighters jumped, groaning tiredly. "Come on!" Nick laughed. "What's up with you two?"

"We were up most of the night for a search and rescue." Blade grumbled.

"Yeah, why aren't you as tired as us?" Sky complained. She had yet to slide out of the hoist hatch as she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm a ghost, kid." Nick chuckled, moving around Blade towards Sky. "I don't always need to sleep, ergo—" Nick froze, staring at Sky with wide eyes. "Uh…"

"What?" Sky asked. "What is it?"

Nick blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Say Sky? You wanna come over here so Blade can look at ya?"

Sky raised an eyebrow, but followed Nick to stand in Blade's field of vision. Blade looked to Nick questioningly, but when he saw Sky his eyes widened.

"Oh you've got to be kidding." Blade groaned.

"What?" Sky asked again, curious and starting to feel anxious. It suddenly clicked. "Maru did something to me, didn't he?"

" _Sí."_ Nick gulped. _And I clearly chose the wrong night to take a stroll through the woods._

Sky groaned. "What'd he do? Marker on the face? Glitter?"

"A little bit more serious than that." Blade admitted. "But listen: first I'm going to throttle him for sneaking into my hanger. Nick and I are going to leave. You wait about five minutes and then check out the damage. All right?"

Sky sighed. "Fine."

Blade and Nick left, trying to not look like they were hurrying. But once Blade closed the door, he darted off and towards the garage. Maru wasn't there, but he _was_ with the rest of the team having breakfast around the fire pit.

"Mornin' Chief!" Maru greeted. "Sleep well?"

"Apparently given you were able to sneak into my hanger in the middle of the night." Blade growled.

"You snuck into Blade's hanger?" Dynamite asked, perplexed.

"Hey, my original target was sleeping in there, so I had to get in." Maru shrugged, going back to his coffee.

"I noticed." Blade huffed. "And I hope you realize she's going to kill you when she finds out in a few minutes."

"What'd you do?" Drip asked Maru.

"She thinks retardant red looks good on me? Well I think the color I put on her looks even better." Maru said.

"What color was that?" Dipper asked.

"It wasn't pink, right?" Dusty asked, sounding a little worried.

"What's wrong with pink?" Patch asked.

"It's the one color Sky hates the most." Dusty explained. "I'm still not completely sure why. Something about a school bully who always wore pink. She's hated it ever since."

"So, if any of it got on her…?" Blackout said questioningly.

"If Sky can avoid wearing pink, she will." Dusty assured.

"Maybe not this time." Maru said in a sing-song tone.

Dusty's eyes widened. "Maru, if you're next prank involved pink, you'd be taking your life in your tines."

"How so?" Blade asked, suddenly a little nervous.

"Chug and I once made a mistake of dousing Sky in pink paint for a prank." Dusty said. "And when she found out—" Dusty stopped talking, his eyes going wide. The rest of the firefighters followed his gaze and their eyes also widened.

Maru took another sip of his coffee. "Let me guess: she's right behind me."

The firefighters nodded.

Maru rolled his eyes and turned to see Sky's reaction to his masterpiece. He didn't quite expect her level of fury: fists clenched until her knuckles turned white, eyebrows low and furrowed, and her nostrils flaring. The only thing that made it remotely funny was the fact that Sky's previously raven black hair was now a bright shade of pink.

Sky kept her glare locked on Maru, like the targeting system for a missile launcher. She marched up and put her face close to Maru's windshield. The smirk on Maru's lips dwindled down, and he gulped a little.

"You are _so_ dead." Sky finally said. That's all she said. She turned on her heel and marched off, leaving a stunned silence behind her.

Maru blinked. He blinked again. "Uh, say Dusty? Not that I'm scared or anything, but how dead do you think I am?"

Dusty sighed. "Maru, you have killed two birds with one stone by messing with Sky's top two pet peeves. One, her hatred for the color pink. Two, her absolute loathing at _anyone_ who dares to mess with her hair. How dead are you?" He chuckled. "You might as well start digging your own grave."

* * *

Luckily, Maru had enough brains to simply use a paint-like hair dye. The pink color came out of Sky's hair with a hose down and a quick shower. But everyone knew, based on her reaction, that Sky's revenge was nigh. It would only be a matter of time before she struck.

A few days passed. Then a week. Then two weeks. All the while, the firefighters of the base waited patiently for Sky's moment of attack. Maru could feel paranoia setting in, and he even started going to bed with a wrench for protection. Blade and Nick didn't bother Sky about her plans, mostly because they were afraid to find out, but they could tell she thought real hard about this one. Sky knew that biding her time would make her final prank worthwhile, but she also had trouble figuring out what her greatest prank would be. How would she get Maru so badly that he finally raised the white flag? She was a Jolly Wrench, after all. Skipper gave her informal training to be a Navy soldier. Sky would either win this war or go down fighting.

Now how to do it?

"It's gotta be clever." Sky said during her hike with Nick. "Something mind-blowing. Something that'll put an end to this."

"Hmm, tough decision." Nick mused. "Blade and I tended to prank each other now and then, but we didn't necessarily end up in a full-on war."

"Come on, Nick." Sky practically pleaded, climbing over large rocks next to the river. "Can't you think of any good ones you pulled on Blade?"

"Blade said I'm not even supposed to be helping you." Nick reminded her.

"Yeah, but you owe me one for not waking me up when Maru dyed my hair." Sky countered.

Nick sighed. "Fine. I'll help you with the manual labor. But the creativity is all on you."

"I can deal with that." Sky nodded, leaping from one rock to another and stopping to look over the landscape. "I just have to think for a moment."

"Didn't you used to pull some good revenge stunts as a kid?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, but those were pretty malicious acts of vengeance." Sky shrugged. "If I go that route, I'm going to have to tone it down a little."

"How so?" Nick asked.

Sky thought about it. She glanced towards the river next to her and caught sight of a small drop that created a sort of waterfall within the river's flow. Sky stared at this drop for a long while, and a mischievous grin appeared on her lips.

"I think I got an idea."

* * *

Maru wasn't exactly a light sleeper, but he wasn't a heavy one either. So Sky had Nick slip some sleep aids into Maru's drink during dinner. A couple hours after Maru fell asleep, Sky and Nick snuck into his room to execute her revenge. Nick helped Sky gently push Maru out of his bed and onto an air mattress that had a couple ropes tied to it. Nick and Sky each took a rope and began quietly dragging Maru out of the garage.

"I dunno amout isth." Nick whispered, his mouth still full of rope.

"Shh!" Sky hissed. They froze when Maru stirred, but he only muttered something incoherent and went back to sleeping. Sky and Nick relaxed, and they resumed their work until they came to the right place.

"You know, Maru might kill you for this." Nick whispered.

"Hey, I said I was gonna kill him for the pink hair." Sky whispered back. "This is me having mercy on him."

Nick sighed quietly. "If you're so sure."

Sky nodded. _Now_ this _is going to be fun._

* * *

Maru yawned, slowly blinking open his eyes. _I haven't slept that well in ages. Don't know about this sun, though. Really need to remember to shut the blinds._

Maru paused. He woke up at dawn, and no sunlight could make it through his window at that time. He opened his eyes fully.

A wall of water rushed past his eyes.

Maru shouted in surprise, suddenly taking in his surroundings at once. For one thing, he was most definitely _not_ in his bed back in the garage. Ropes wrapped around most his body like a net, keeping him suspended in the air and less than a foot away from a waterfall right in front of him. He couldn't move anything except his tines and his eyes. When he looked down, he couldn't even see the bottom of the falls. Only rushing water.

"What in the…?" Maru gulped. "How did…..when did….?"

"Well good morning, Maru!"

Maru looked up to see he was actually close to the top of the falls, and none other than Skylar Amelia Riley herself sat on a large rock just next to the water. Maru glared. "Skylar! You little twerp!"

"That looks like an awfully comfortable position." Sky said teasingly. "But you really should be careful. You could fall."

"Shut up, kid!" Maru snapped. "How in the heck did you even get me up here?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out." Sky sassed.

Maru groaned, then laughed mockingly. "Okay, that's a good one. Real funny, Navy Brat. Now get me down!"

"Nope." Sky shrugged.

"Yes." Maru snapped.

"Nope."

"Now!"

"Nope."

"Skylar!"

"Yeah?"

Maru took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn't exactly do anything at the moment. He was completely at the mercy of a deranged daughter of a Jolly Wrench. "Twerp."

Sky laughed. "This really is an ingenious knot system. Dad and Sparky taught it to me. It's all kept together with this single line." She pointed to a length of rope that stretched right in front of the rock she sat on. Then, to Maru's horror, Sky pulled out her pocketknife and unfolded the blade. "One snip and it all goes down."

Maru laughed nervously. "Okay, take it easy, kid. I see now that I might've crossed a line with the whole pink hair thing. Let's talk about this."

Sky pretended to think about it, tapping her pocketknife blade against the rope. It didn't break, but it still made Maru antsy. "Tell you what, Maru. I'll make you a deal. You openly admit defeat and declare me the winner of this prank war, and I'll let you down nicely."

"And if I don't?" Maru asked. Sky started sawing at the rope before her. Maru yelped. "Okay okay okay!"

Sky stopped, smirking at Maru. "Come on, say it."

Maru glared and growled. "You are pure evil."

"Aw, thanks." Sky giggled. "But flattery won't get you down."

Maru groaned exasperatedly. He weighed his options for a moment, but soon decided Sky would most likely leave him there if he didn't do what she said. "Fine. You win."

"What's that?" Sky asked, putting a hand to her ear.

"I said you win. I surrender." Maru spoke up.

"Hmm?" Sky had that snarky smirk on her lips again.

Maru fumed a little, and he raised his voice. "You win! All right? I admit my defeat! You are the Queen of Practical Jokes and the Master of Pulling Pranks! All hail the great and powerful Skylar Amelia Riley for she is the most amazing prankster that ever lived!"

"All right, all right." Sky laughed. "Don't milk it. Do you truly surrender?"

"Yes." Maru droned.

"And you're gonna tell everyone at the base that I won?"

"Fine."

"And you're never going to mess with my hair like that again."

"Deal. Now get me down!"

Sky smirked. "Okay!" She grabbed the rope and sliced right through it.

"NO! Don't!" Maru shouted in surprise as he fell…..

…and then yelped in pain when he landed in the rocky riverbed just a few feet down.

Maru sputtered and coughed as he pulled himself out of the water. He looked back and discovered the waterfall to be actually quite short, maybe a little taller than twice his height, dumping Maru into a calm section of river. He glared as he looked up to Sky. She was nearly in hysterics, clutching her stomach as she howled with laughter. She even rolled around on the rock she sat on.

"Oh, man!" Sky wiped her eyes free of tears. "You should've seen the look on your face!"

Maru was so mad that steam would've trailed out of his ears (if he had ears and if it were possible, that is). "How did you know I wouldn't call your bluff?"

"I didn't." Sky shrugged. "That was just a risk I took. And it paid off. Now you have to confess to everyone back at base that I won."

"Oh, gladly." Maru growled. "I'll be sure to include it in my eulogy at your funeral!"

Seeing Maru begin to come after her, Sky scrambled to her feet and jumped off the rock. "Gotta catch me first!" She taunted, sprinting away.

"GET BACK HERE YA LITTLE WEASEL!" Maru shouted, chasing Sky all the way back to base.

When the rest of the team caught sight of the chase, they knew Sky's latest prank must've gone well. They quickly ducked out of the way as Maru continued to chase Sky around the base. While Maru managed to get close to Sky now and then, what she lacked in speed she made up for in nimbleness and agility. She managed to dart around sharp corners and leap over objects that forced Maru to slow down or swerve to one side. Most of the other firefighters couldn't stop laughing, especially the Smokejumpers. Several of them laughed themselves to tears.

Sky finally found her savior when Blade came out to see what all the commotion was about. "Blade! Save me!"

"What?" Blade jumped when Sky darted around him, Maru close behind her. "Hey, hey! What's goin' on with you two?"

"I'm gonna kill her!" Maru growled.

Sky jumped up and grabbed the black fin-like bars on Blade's tail, pulling herself up and climbing up to Blade's roof. "Ha!" She gloated from her safe vantage point. But she yelped when Blade gave his rotors a spin and knocked her off. She managed to grab one of his rotors and hung on. Blade swung her around until they were eye-to-eye, and Blade gave her a very unamused, very deadpan stare. Sky chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

"Just get down." Blade ordered. Sky obeyed, and she and Maru straightened up in front of their chief. Blade looked back and forth between the two. "Am I to assume Raven's latest joke ended well for her?"

Maru sighed. "Yes. She won."

Blade nodded. "All right. You two had your go at each other and Raven won fair and square. Now be good friends and make up."

Maru and Sky exchanged looks. Sky sighed and held out a hand. Maru mimicked her with his tine, and they shook on it. Sky grinned. "Not bad, punk."

Maru smirked. "Not bad yourself, kid." He pulled Sky into a gentle headlock and lightly ruffled her hair. The two of them laughed, and Blade nodded in satisfaction before leaving.

"You did well." Sky admitted, smoothing out her hair. "Can't wait to do battle with you again."

"Oh, just you wait." Maru snickered. "I know all your tricks now."

Sky laughed. "We'll see."


	25. Spot Fire Part 1

**Spot Fire – Part One**

After the craziness of fighting the Piston Peak inferno (and surviving, no less), earning their certification, and having fun at the Corn Fest, Dusty and Sky welcomed the down time they suddenly had. It especially gave Sky a chance to fully heal from her injuries. Sometimes people would stare at her new scars, but Sky didn't care. They were the scars of a noble profession, as Mayday put it.

But getting their certification didn't necessarily mean the end of their training, as Blade explained to them before the Air Attack team returned to Piston Peak. They knew how to fight wildfires, but now they just needed to learn how to fight building fires to be prepared for multiple situations. This training came at the end of fire season. When Blade got the all-clear, he returned to Propwash Junction to help Mayday train the newest firefighters in structural fires. Autumn and summer colors began to mix as the seasons transitioned, and Dusty heard Leadbottom talk with several of the farmers about the upcoming harvest.

But he had to focus. Skipper's racing training was one thing, and Blade's firefighting training was another. Who knows what Mayday would be like? After all, he was the one who trained Blade in the first place.

First up was Dusty learning how to drop water on a burning building.

"This is where target practice is useful." Blade explained. "Now, generally, structural fires are taken care of with trucks rather than aircraft. Since you and Mayday will need to work together, you're going to have to learn how to drop the water so you put out the fire without inadvertently causing more damage."

"Right." Dusty nodded, listening closely.

"What you want to do is drop the water carefully so it can spread out." Mayday instructed. "Too much water in one place could cave in a roof. Also, you're aim needs to be spot-on. Miss the building, you gotta circle around and try again, and time is of the essence with structural fires."

To practice, Sky and Sparky arranged some firewood in a large block formation and set fire to it, creating a field of fire for Dusty to put out. Dusty flew over and tried dropping the water in his tank. Luckily, his practice at Piston Peak paid off for this one. He had a few misses, but managed to get the fire out in a few drops. He did this three times in a row, so Mayday had the target made smaller and smaller to force Dusty to really practice his aim. It brought Dusty back to his crop dusting days, but he knew crop dusting was much easier than aiming at a fire.

While Dusty practiced his aim, Sky received her own training. "You're going to be an active member of the ground crew, Sky." Mayday explained. He, Blade, Sparky, and Sky made their way down a dirt road, right towards an old barn outside of town. "Which means you'll have to learn how to perform rescues. This often will require you to maneuver through fire."

"So then what's with the axe?" Sky asked, holding up the tool in her hands.

"That is a pulaski." Mayday corrected. "Axe on one end, adze on the other. Very useful in wildland firefighting, but also beneficial in a structural fire. Say we had a civilian trapped inside a burning building? Well, you'd use the pulaski to break inside and get them out."

"Okay. Makes sense." Sky nodded.

"So you're going to practice on this." Blade said as they stopped in front of the old barn. The wood long since turned dark from age, and some of it was rotting.

Sky raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"The farmer who owns this barn has been meaning to tear it down for a while." Mayday assured. "When I told him I had a firefighter in need of training, he gave us the all-clear. Don't worry; we'll take this one day at a time so you're not exhausted."

Sky shrugged. "Well, okay. What do you want me to do?"

"Go on in there and find a section of wall to start on." Mayday instructed. "When I give the word, you start hacking away at the wood and Sparky will time you. Remember: time is of the essence, especially with rescues. You gotta make a hole big enough for you and the civilian to get through, and you gotta do it quickly. Got it?"

"Okay!" Sky nodded. She eagerly jogged inside, finding a section of wall and standing next to it. She leveled the pulaski in her hands, ready to use it.

"Ready?" Mayday called. He nodded to Sparky. "Go!"

Sky swung the pulaski like a baseball bat, the axe impaling the wood. But when she tried to pull it back, she quickly discovered the tool became stuck. She lost her grip and fell backwards, landing on her tailbone. Blade snorted a little, pursing his lips to keep his laughter at bay. Sparky slapped a tine over his lips. Mayday chuckled.

Sky glared at them in irritation, both with them and herself. "What're you laughing at?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Blade said innocently.

"Come on, Sky!" Mayday called encouragingly. "Clock's still ticking."

Sky pushed herself to her feet. "Right. Got it." She wrenched the pulaski free after a few tugs, and she went back to slamming it against the wall. The pulaski got stuck again a few times, and when she tried to use the adze side it became so stuck that Sky had to spend a few minutes pulling it out again. By the time Sky made a hole big enough to crawl through, sweat drenched her forehead and her arms and shoulders were sore. She panted a little as she approached Mayday, Blade, and Sparky. "So…..how'd I do?"

"Including the number of times you got stuck….." Mayday glanced to the watch as Sparky held it up. "About twenty minutes. You and the civilian most likely burned to a crisp."

Sky groaned. "Great."

"Take a breather and go again." Mayday said. "You may be strong, but using a pulaski requires a certain set of muscles. It's almost like cutting firewood."

"Mayday, not that I'm disagreeing, but I've chopped firewood before." Sky said. "I can say, without a doubt, that this is really not the same thing."

"That sounds like you're disagreeing." Sparky pointed out jokingly.

Sky rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Go on, Sky." Mayday encouraged. "Try again."

"Try to really lay on it." Blade advised. "Don't hit the wood with the axe, go _through_ it."

"Copy that." Sky nodded. She prepared herself, and Sparky started the timer again. Sky put all her strength into it, but she felt it was slow work. This was so much more different compared to other work she had done, even when firefighting.

At one point, Sky had to jump out of the way when some wood and debris broke off and fell down just next to her. She paused in her work to look up, checking to see just how much debris she'd have to avoid.

"Get back into it, Raven!" Blade called. "You'll be inside a building that's on fire. Stuff is going to be falling around you. Be aware of it, work around it, and keep going."

"Right." Sky nodded. She resumed her work. _Come on, Sky. Focus. You can do this._

Two hours later, Mayday finally dismissed Sky for the day. Sky was sweaty, tired, and her muscles shook. The barn walls were riddled with holes. Blade and Mayday complimented Sky on a job well done for a first day learning the tool. Sky thanked them, but secretly she felt she didn't accomplish much.

Sparky helped Sky relax back at the hanger with Skipper, icing down her sore shoulders. He stared at Sky for a moment, noticing she hunched over a bit and stared at the ground. "Something bothering you, kiddo?"

"I'm not a kid, Sparky." Sky scoffed softly.

"Sure you are." Sparky grinned. "You're my and Skipper's kid."

Sky smiled softly, and she sighed. "I guess I'm just getting a bit of a reality check. I feel like I'm back at Piston Peak, training under Blade."

"Does that mean this is worse or better than your first training sessions?" Sparky asked.

"Not better, but not exactly worse either." Sky said. "When we fought wildfires, we usually only had to worry about a wild animal, and most of them could get away on their own. With building fires, there's a much higher risk of people being trapped inside." She sighed again. "I've never been in situations like this. I mean, lives will be on the line, and whether or not they get out all right could rest on my shoulders."

"That's what being a firefighter is all about, sweetheart." Skipper said.

"I know." Sky assured. "What started as a promise to Mayday became my real desire to learn what being a firefighter truly means. I think I'm just starting to feel the pressure with this new training."

"It'll pass, rest assured." Skipper said.

"I just don't want to let Mayday down." Sky said. "And I don't want Blade to think all that training went to waste."

"I highly doubt he'd think that." Sparky said. "And no way are you going to let Mayday down."

"The fact that you're thinking about this stuff shows you're dedicated." Skipper said. "Just don't dwell on it. You'll do great."

Sky didn't answer for a second, but she still smiled. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

* * *

It took another week's worth of training, but Dusty and Sky steadily began to adapt their new skills. Dusty's aim definitely got better. Sky continued working on the old barn, and soon she got the hang of using a pulaski. One of her last training sessions caused little exhaustion.

"All right, Sky." Mayday said. "You take down the rest of this barn in under thirty minutes, I can clear you for using a pulaski."

Sky looked to what remained of the old barn: the building equivalent of a skeleton, really. The rafters and corners were there, but most of the walls and the entire roof was gone. Sky leveled the pulaski in her hands, feeling much more comfortable with the tool.

"Ready?" Mayday called.

"Ready, Chief!" Sky nodded.

Sparky held up his stopwatch. "And…go!" Mayday ordered.

Sky started towards the nearest section of destroyed wall, but she paused. In scarcely a few seconds, she analyzed the entirety of the structure. A second later, she raised the pulaski over her head. To Blade's, Mayday's, and Sparky's surprise, Sky suddenly threw the pulaski with all her strength. The axe side hit the point where the rafters and the wall supports met, sticking there. The structure began to creak and groan. Blade, Mayday, and Sparky tilted somewhat to one side as they watched the remains of the barn fall over and crash to the ground. The boys stared in shock, Sparky just barely managing to stop the stopwatch in time. Sky marched over to the fallen wood and grabbed the pulaski, yanking it free. She twirled the tool skillfully, resting it on her shoulder as she turned to the boys.

"Uh, Sparky?" Mayday asked. "Time?"

Sparky checked. "17.09 seconds."

Sky shrugged. "Does that count?"

"I'll count that." Mayday nodded. "Not bad."

"That was so cool!" Sparky exclaimed.

"Unorthodox, but impressive." Blade admitted.

Sky laughed. "Thanks."

"Come on, let's go celebrate!" Sparky cheered. "Ice cream on me!" Everyone else chuckled at Sparky's enthusiasm, and they followed him back towards town.

"I think I'll go check on Crophopper's target practice." Blade announced, turning and going off towards another field nearby.

"You did very well today, Sky." Mayday complimented.

"Thanks, Mayday." Sky said. "Certainly wasn't easy."

"But you did great." Sparky said. "You make one heck of a firefighter."

"Sure do." Mayday agreed. Sky smiled with pride. She held the pulaski out towards Mayday. "Why don't you hold onto that, Sky? You seem to work well with it."

"Really?" Sky asked, resting the pulaski back on her shoulder. "Thanks, Mayday."

"It's a little old, but it served Max well." Mayday said.

Sky's eyes widened a little, and she stared at the pulaski blade. "This…belonged to Max? I thought you said it was used for wildland firefighting."

"Well yeah." Mayday nodded. "Max was a wildland firefighter before he came to work with me."

"And you're sure I should be using this?" Sky asked uncertainly.

"Max would be happy to know the old thing's finally being used." Mayday assured.

Sky rubbed the pulaski handle with her thumb. It didn't feel right, but she didn't argue with Mayday. Reminders of Max sometimes made Sky's heart ache, no matter how proud she was to be a firefighter like him.

Suddenly, an alarm rang out from the fire station. Amongst Mayday's upgrades, Sparky also found time to make a new alarm bell that could be heard across town. Mayday immediately snapped into action, driving as fast as he could over to the firehouse. Sky and Sparky followed as quickly as possible. By the time they got there, Mayday already finished his call with dispatch.

"Wildfire starting in the woods near the river." Mayday reported. "Sky, load up and let's go. I'll call Blade and Dusty."

"Right." Sky nodded, hurrying to the office area to get her harness and fire extinguisher.

"Blade, come in." Mayday called into his radio.

" _I read you, Mayday."_ Blade responded in less than a second.

"Wildfire starting near the river. We could use your help." Mayday said. "Meet Dusty at the Fill N' Fly to load up and then start heading towards the fire."

" _Copy that."_ Blade signed off.

"Let's go, Skylar!" Mayday called.

"Ready!" Sky called back. She hesitated for a moment, but then grabbed the pulaski and hopped onto Mayday's tailgate to hang onto his water tank. Mayday tore out of the firehouse, Sparky waving and wishing them luck. Mayday's siren screamed as he shot straight towards the fire. Sky looked up and saw Blade and Dusty right above them. The fire didn't look too big, thankfully, but it could very well jump over to the fields and then things would get even more dangerous.

" _All right, Mayday, where do you want us?"_ Blade asked over the radio.

"You and Dusty start circling the fire and create a line." Mayday ordered. "Search for anyone possibly in the fire. Skylar and I will work on things down here."

" _Copy that."_ Blade and Dusty said at once. They swooped in, Blade taking command of the aerial attack. Mayday started spraying water onto the flames, and Sky took out her fire extinguisher to do the same. She kept an ear open for Mayday's orders while also glancing towards Blade and Dusty now and then. So far, so good.

 _Just gotta keep it up._ Sky thought, focusing on the fire and keeping tabs on how much water she had left.

Blade scanned every inch of the blaze, careful not to miss anything. He wasn't sure who would be out here, but they would have to be quick if they found a civilian out here in the fire. Blade gave the fire another once-over, and at first it looked like an easy firefight. Then, he noticed something standing out in the flames: a spot of white amidst the orange and yellow. Blade looked again, and he quickly switched on his radio.

"Ranger 301 to Chief, we got someone in the fire." Blade reported.

" _Age?"_ Mayday asked.

"Indeterminate."

" _What?"_

"It's a dog."

" _A dog?"_

" _A dog?"_ Dusty and Sky echoed.

"A dog." Blade confirmed. "Stuck right in the middle of this thing. Fire's closing in fast. We gotta get it out of there."

Mayday nodded in thought. "All right, come get Sky. You can lower her down and we'll get it out. Sky, you copy that?"

" _Copy that!"_ Sky confirmed, running back to Mayday. Blade returned to the pair, lowering his hoist down so Sky could grab on. He flew her over the fire, and Sky leaned out of the hoist hatch to see a small clearing not yet burned. Cowering under a tree was the dog Blade mentioned.

"I see the dog." Sky said into her radio. "Going down now."

" _Copy that."_ Mayday said. _"Be careful."_

Sky held onto the hoist again and Blade lowered her down. Sky jumped and hit the ground with a dull _thud_ , standing again and walking over towards the dog. She could now see the dog to be a black-spotted Dalmatian with nut brown eyes. Sky started towards the animal, but the Dalmatian whined and darted away from her. Sky tried again, but the dog just kept running away while also steering clear of the fire that surrounded them.

"Hey, hey, take it easy." Sky said soothingly. The Dalmatian continued to whine and dart around, clearly terrified of both the fire and Sky. "Just calm down." Sky said, desperate to calm the poor animal. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." The Dalmatian whined, trembling in terror. While the dog didn't dart around anymore, he or she still wouldn't come any closer to Sky. "Come on, dog." Sky groaned, coughing a few times.

" _Raven, what's the holdup?"_ Blade demanded over Sky's radio.

"Dog's scared and not coming to me." Sky said.

" _Sky, this thing's spreading rapidly."_ Dusty chimed in. _"You gotta get out of there."_

"Just give me a minute!" Sky snapped.

" _You don't have a minute."_ Blade said. _"You gotta get out of there now."_

Sky stared at the Dalmatian for a moment. Then, she heard something cracking. Looking up, Sky saw the burning branches of a nearby tree about to fall. Sky ran and dived, and the Dalmatian only flinched as Sky tackled the dog to one side. The burning branches crashed to the ground, missing Sky's feet by inches. Sky coughed as she sat up, checking over the Dalmatian. The dog gave another whine, but then licked Sky's face in thanks. Sky laughed, but noticed the fire getting closer. She hooked an arm around the Dalmatian's neck.

"Blade, drop the hoist and get us out of here!" Sky called into her radio mic.

" _Copy that. Comin' down!"_ Blade hovered above the clearing, lowering down the hook. Sky grabbed the hook and clipped it to her harness, hugging the Dalmatian to her chest. Blade lifted them up, trying to go slowly so the Dalmatian wouldn't freak out so much. After making sure the two of them were safe inside, Blade flew them back to Mayday. Sparky stood there as well, a tank of oxygen and a first aid kit next to him.

"Blade, go reload and return." Mayday ordered. "We're just about done here."

"Copy that." Blade nodded, taking off again. Sky sat with the dog, petting the animal soothingly. The Dalmatian whined and fidgeted on her feet. But Sky's soothing voice and soft stroking helped keep the dog still, and Sparky started his checkup.

"Doesn't look too bad." Sparky finally said. "Little smoke inhalation, but no burns."

"Good." Mayday nodded. "Sky, why don't you take the little fella back to the firehouse? See if you can figure out where he belongs."

"Can do, Mayday." Sky nodded. She pulled off her harness and looped part of it around the Dalmatian's neck, leading the dog off with Sparky beside them. The Dalmatian stayed so close to Sky that she almost tripped over the dog. But they made it back to the firehouse and Sky laid out a towel for the Dalmatian to lay on.

Sparky looked the dog over again. "Huh, that's weird. No collar, but she's been spayed. She's gotta belong to somebody."

"How long do you think she's been away from her family?" Sky asked. She grabbed a bowl from the kitchen area of the firehouse and filled it with water, setting it down in front of the dog. The Dalmatian drank it. A good sign for the dog's health.

"Not sure." Sparky admitted. "She's not exactly malnourished, but it looks like she's gone a few days without food." He gently prodded at the dog's ribs, but the Dalmatian whimpered and suddenly darted around to hide behind Sky. Sparky blinked in surprise. "She seems to like you."

"I guess." Sky laughed, gently petting the dog. "She's so skittish."

"Better hold onto her until Mayday comes by." Sparky said. "I'd say she just needs some water for now."

Sky nodded, thanking Sparky as he drove off. Sky guided the Dalmatian back to the towel so she could lay down. The Dalmatian finally relaxed, most likely out of exhaustion, and Sky began petting her again.

"You poor thing." Sky cooed softly. "What could've happened to you?"

* * *

After about an hour of fighting the fire, Mayday cleared Dusty and Blade to land and drove back to the firehouse. When he arrived, he discovered Sky rolling a tennis ball across the floor for the Dalmatian to fetch. The Dalmatian darted after the ball giddily, but when she noticed Mayday she suddenly skidded to a halt and galloped back to hide behind Sky.

"Nervous little thing, isn't she?" Mayday noted.

"She _is_ on the skittish side, it would seem." Sky admitted. She rubbed the Dalmatian's head soothingly.

"Any idea where she lives?" Mayday asked.

"Nope." Sky shrugged. "Sparky and I managed to get her to a vet, but they didn't find a microchip on her."

"I guess we'll have to ask around town." Mayday suggested.

"What if we can't find people who own her?" Sky asked. "I mean….where will she go?"

Mayday smirked knowingly. "Well, where do you think she should go?"

Sky couldn't keep her grin off her lips, and she kept petting the Dalmatian. "I mean, if she doesn't have a good home…maybe we could give her one."

Mayday chuckled good-naturedly. "You have such a kind heart, Skylar. It's always nice to see it show. But she might be a stray. We have to at least try and find out if she has owners."

"Did you tell Mayday about your crazy plan too?" Sparky said as he appeared in the doorway of the firehouse.

"It's not crazy to take in a dog off the streets." Sky protested. "Or, in this case, out of a fire."

"This coming from the girl who once tried to 'adopt' a raccoon raiding our trashcans." Sparky pointed out. "You know Skipper doesn't like animals in the hanger. He once tried to convince me that he was allergic to animal hair."

"But we need to keep her safe until we can find where she belongs." Sky said.

"She can stay in the firehouse until then." Mayday offered.

"Great." Sparky nodded. "Come on, Sky. Skipper says it's time for dinner."

"Okay." Sky stood up, giving the Dalmatian one last pat. "See ya, doggie." She began towards the door, but paused when she heard whining. The Dalmatian paced nervously, looking back and forth between Sky and Mayday. The fire truck observed the dog's erratic behavior for a moment, and then he reversed back into the office space. The Dalmatian darted forward and curled up around Sky's feet.

"Good gracious." Mayday breathed.

"What a scaredy-cat." Sparky snorted. "I mean, dog."

Sky knelt down and petted the Dalmatian. "You sure we can't take her home temporarily, Sparky?"

"Skipper doesn't like animals in the hanger, and I don't think it's a good idea to put a skittish dog next to a giant warplane." Sparky pointed out. He stared at the dog for a minute. "But, for the sake of the dog, maybe it would be a good idea for you to stay with her tonight. If that's all right with you, Mayday."

"Of course." Mayday assured. "I'd be happy to have some company in here."

"I'll bring you over a sleeping bag and some dinner." Sparky offered, driving off.

"You're the best, Sparky!" Sky called after him. She encouraged the Dalmatian back to her makeshift bed, sitting down beside the dog.

Mayday observed how closely the Dalmatian stayed to Sky. "Poor thing's traumatized. Wonder how she got lost."

"Being in a fire must've been bad enough." Sky noted.

"I bet she'll be okay by tomorrow." Mayday said. "Especially with a little TLC."

"I can give her plenty of that." Sky assured with a smile.

* * *

That night, Sky slept in her sleeping bag on the floor of the firehouse, well out of Mayday's potential driving path should there be a fire. The Dalmatian slept curled up on top of Sky's legs, her warmth passing comfortably into Sky. On any other night, the warmth would've been enough to lull Sky into sleep. But she couldn't stop staring off into space, and her eyes wouldn't stay closed. She glanced over to a pile of gear just next to her pillow, ready to be used just in case. Three pieces of equipment rested there: her harness, the pulaski tool, and Max's old firefighting helmet he gave her so long ago.

Sky sat up quietly, careful to not wake the Dalmatian, and she lifted the fire helmet in her hands. The helmet was red in color, with a clear visor that slid up and down. It looked like a typical firefighting helmet, but it wore scars of the noble profession. Sky stared at the labels on the front, reading them quietly to herself.

"'Max Wesley. Propwash Junction Firefighter. Captain.'" Sky stared at that last one. "Captain?" A shadow passed over Sky, blocking the moonlight coming through the window, and she looked up to see Mayday in front of her.

"That was Max's role in the station." Mayday said, gesturing to the helmet. "I needed a second-in-command, and after a few years he proved himself fit for the job. Of course, he would always say that I just chose him because he was the only other firefighter in town." He and Sky laughed.

"Max said this was one of his spare helmets." Sky suddenly remembered.

"He always liked to keep two helmets around." Mayday explained. "In case he ever lost one."

Sky's smile soon fell, and she hugged the helmet to her chest. "I miss him."

Mayday sighed, nodding. "Yeah, I miss him too, kiddo. He was a good one."

"Do you…do you think I'll ever be as good a firefighter as him?" Sky asked.

"Now I don't want you thinking like that, Sky." Mayday said. "I don't want you to be as good as him. I want you to be as good as you can be."

"I'm just afraid I'm going to mess up."

"That's typical of most firefighters, even veterans. But you're doing very well."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

Sky started smiling again. "Thanks, Mayday." She gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. "Why am I freaking out about this? You and Blade are great teachers and I'm apparently doing well. I wasn't this nervous with racing."

"Well, it's a different ball game." Mayday reminded her. "There are going to be people relying on you."

"Because lives will often be at stake in this line of work." Sky guessed. "Well, that's it then. Never been responsible for someone else's life. Not like anyone was responsible for me."

"Skipper and Sparky are, aren't they?" Mayday pointed out.

Sky bobbed her head. "I guess so."

Mayday stared at her for a moment. "Must not be easy for someone to be responsible for you and then forget about that responsibility."

Sky didn't answer. Mayday was one of the few people in Propwash Junction who fully understood her story. The entire town knew she became an orphan because of abandonment, but only a handful knew the details: Skipper, Sparky, Dusty, Chug, Dottie, and Mayday. But, though they were never in her shoes, at least they understood how to help Sky whenever she became forced to remember her birth parents.

Sky looked to the Dalmatian, then up to Mayday again. "Thanks for everything, Mayday."

"It's always nice to talk to you, Skylar." Mayday chuckled. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight." Sky said.


	26. Spot Fire Part 2

**Spot Fire – Part Two**

The next day was more conditioning rather than training. Mayday, Blade, Sky, and Dusty met up at the Fill N' Fly to discuss the plan. The Dalmatian sat at Sky's feet, much more relaxed today even when she still stuck by Sky's side.

"All right, Skylar. I have a special training session for you today." Mayday said. "I'm going with Dusty to see how his target practice is going. I want you and Blade to go work on your strength with the pulaski."

"How so?" Sky asked.

"I think your father mentioned something about firewood that needed chopping." Blade said.

Sky rolled her eyes with a sideways grin. "Every time I ask, it seems like he has a chore for me to do. Come on, Spot Fire."

"'Spot Fire'?" Blade repeated.

"The dog." Sky gestured to the Dalmatian as she began walking off.

Blade chuckled as he followed her. "Why name a dog that?"

"Well, she's covered in spots and we found her in a fire." Sky shrugged. "Why not?"

Blade didn't question it after that, simply rolling his eyes with a small grin. As Sky practiced, Blade took some time to watch Spot Fire. The Dalmatian definitely seemed calmer now that the trauma of the fire passed. But if Blade tried to get closer to the dog or looked towards her, Spot Fire would dart away and get closer to Sky.

"She likes you." Blade noticed.

"She does seem to be a little skittish around other people." Sky shrugged, rubbing Spot Fire's ears. "Or maybe your Glare of Doom works a little too well."

Blade chuckled. "Works when I need it."

Sky laughed, resuming her work. She cast smiles to Spot Fire, but reminded herself that this dog probably belonged to someone else. She couldn't get attached in case the owners came by.

* * *

A day passed. Then another. Then another, until almost a week went by without word of Spot Fire's owners. Spot Fire finally got used to being in the firehouse with Mayday so Sky could sleep in her own bed. When Sky and Dusty weren't practicing or training, they often played with Spot Fire in the fields and the forest. The Dalmatian still stuck near Sky, but steadily began sniffing the other Propwash Junction residents curiously (even when she did it from a safe distance away).

"She's not gonna be happy should someone come by looking for that dog." Mayday noted, having a cup of coffee with Blade at the firehouse. The two of them could see Sky and Dusty playing with Spot Fire just down the road.

"She really likes animals, huh?" Blade asked.

"Oh yeah. She's always going out into the forest and looking for critters. Used to wear binoculars all the time to birdwatch." Mayday nodded. "She's been taking good care of that dog. But Skipper won't allow her into the hanger."

"Might I ask why Raven is still living with her father?" Blade asked curiously.

"Never saw a reason to move out, I guess." Mayday shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think Skipper and Sparky mind. Sky means the world to them."

Blade nodded aimlessly. "Yeah…." _I can understand that._ He and Mayday jumped when the phone rang from inside the firehouse. Mayday drove off to answer it. Blade looked back towards Dusty, Sky, and Spot Fire, now coming down the road towards him.

"Hey Blade." Sky greeted.

"What's up?" Dusty greeted.

"Just talking with Mayday." Blade said. "You two have been doing well. Pretty soon I'll have to fly back to Piston Peak."

"What's the place like in the winter?" Sky asked.

"Cold. And snowy." Blade said. "But really beautiful. You two ought to come check it out sometime."

"Sounds awesome." Dusty agreed. Everyone paused as Mayday returned, and they noticed he seemed puzzled and a little miffed. "Mayday? You all right?"

"Well, yes and no." Mayday admitted. "I just got off the phone with Spot Fire's previous owners."

Sky tensed up a little. "You found them? When are they coming to get her?"

"They're not." Mayday said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blade demanded.

"The quaint woman I talked to just gave me quite the interesting story." Mayday explained. "Apparently, her son and his friends adopted that dog from the shelter in another town even when they were told not to. By the time their parents found out, the boys had kept the dog locked in a tool shed beaten and neglected."

"Jerks." Sky scoffed.

"That's not the worst of it." Mayday sighed. "The boys were told to return Spot Fire to the shelter, but instead they just let her loose in the forest. She's now in our custody, so we have to decide what to do with her."

"Well what are we supposed to do with an abused dog?" Dusty asked. "I mean, could she stay here?"

"If she had a good home, I suppose so." Mayday said.

"But would she be able to adjust to living in a new home? Especially given her abusive past." Blade pointed out.

"She's comfortable in the firehouse." Sky shrugged. "What if we trained her to be a firefighter?"

"A firefighting dog?" Dusty asked with a raised eye frame.

"There are such a thing as search and rescue dogs on fire teams." Mayday said. "But that's something we'll have to teach Spot Fire. Honestly, I'm not sure she can do it."

"Why not?" Sky asked.

"She's so skittish around strangers." Mayday reminded her. "That's not exactly the best trait to have in a search and rescue dog. She may not take to her training very well if she's been mistreated so badly."

"I could train her." Sky protested.

"You have your own job, not to mention your racing." Mayday reminded her.

"Raven, I think Mayday has a point." Blade agreed. "The dog can only be useful if she can be trained, and I don't see that happening anytime soon with her nervousness. She needs a calm, quiet home where she can forget about the trauma of being abused, and the only way she'll find one is by going back to the shelter."

Sky sighed through her nose. Dusty nudged her encouragingly. "Sky, you have to admit it's the best course of action. We have to think about what's best for Spot Fire."

"I know." Sky said. "That doesn't mean I have to like it." She sighed. "I'll take her back to the shelter tomorrow."

* * *

Sky spent the rest of the day with Spot Fire before taking her back to the firehouse for the night. Mayday had to stay up a little later than normal to look over some paperwork, so he moved into the office space to work so the dog could sleep.

About halfway through his work, Mayday got the feeling somebody watched him. Reversing and turning, he noticed Spot Fire peering around the corner and into the office. The Dalmatian just stared at the fire truck, so Mayday resumed his work. Minutes later, Mayday heard the clicking of claws on the hardwood floor, and he noticed Spot Fire inching her way towards him. Mayday stayed perfectly still, waiting for the dog's move. Spot Fire stayed in one spot and stretched herself as far as she could towards Mayday, sniffing the air near him. Slowly, she began stepping towards Mayday while still sniffing. Soon, she put her nose right up against his tire, then his fender, sniffing up towards his hood. Mayday glanced over to her, but Spot Fire suddenly jumped back and away from him.

Mayday reversed so he could face the dog. "Come on, now." He spoke softly. "Come on. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Spot Fire stared at him for a while. Then she began inching over to him again. It took who knows how long, but soon Spot Fire came back to Mayday's side and jumped up to rest her front paws on his fender. She put an ear to Mayday's hood and rested her head there, seeming to listen to his engine running. After a minute, the dog gave Mayday's hood a small lick. She jumped down and curled up beside his tire, apparently falling asleep.

Mayday chuckled. "You are somethin' else, Spot Fire."

* * *

Sky intended to take Spot Fire to the shelter around lunchtime, but the sound of the siren interrupted her plans. She slipped into her harness and grabbed her pulaski. Sky noticed Max's old firefighting helmet, and after a moment of hesitation she grabbed the helmet and put it on.

"Stay, Spot Fire." Sky ordered, hopping onto Mayday's tailgate and hanging on tightly as he sped off.

" _Crophopper 7 to Chief."_ Dusty's voice said over the radio. _"Blade and I are right above you, Mayday."_

"Copy that." Mayday replied. "Fire's over at the diner on the highway. Once we get there, you and Blade start hitting it from above. Drop the water carefully to avoid the roof from caving it. Copy that?"

" _Copy that!"_ Dusty and Blade replied. The firefighters arrived at the scene to see the entire restaurant in flames and a small crowd of people outside. The police from another town already arrived to keep everyone a safe distance away.

"Hey Mayday!" one of the police cars greeted. A badge painted on his side labeled him as the chief.

"Hey Parker." Mayday greeted. "Cause of fire?"

"Looks like it started in the kitchen and then spread before anybody could put it out." Parker explained. "Everyone's been evacuated. We're at your command."

"Just keep everyone back for now." Mayday ordered. "Skylar, you're with me. Blade and Dusty, you two start dropping water and be careful!"

" _Yes sir!"_

"You got it, Mayday."

The firefighters got to work. Sky hooked up Mayday's firehose to a nearby hydrant, giving him a larger supply of water to work with. Blade and Dusty began their aerial attack, gently raining down the water in their tanks to assist Mayday. Sky did a jog around the building to check for any spreading to the fields or gas pumps they needed to be aware of. But she saw nothing that raised a red flag, and she hurried back to Mayday. Then, Sky noticed a light blue, female BMW X5 talking feverishly with a couple police officers. She looked like she tried desperately to get past them.

"I'll be right back." Sky told Mayday, jogging towards the commotion. "Hey! What's going on?"

"Please, you have to help!" the BMW begged. "M-my daughter and her friend. They were inside the diner. They were playing some video game in the corner and I can't find them and I think they're in there and—"

"All right, all right!" Sky interrupted. "Just stay calm." She turned and hurried back to Mayday. "Chief, we have a mother back there convinced that two kids under her care are inside."

Mayday analyzed the structure. "There'll be too much debris in there for me to move around. You think you can handle it?"

"Absolutely." Sky nodded without hesitation.

"Then go." Mayday ordered. "I'll give you a clear shot through the front door and—" He paused at the sound of barking, and he and Sky turned to see Spot Fire run up to them.

"Spot Fire!" Sky gasped, both shocked and amazed as she knelt down to greet the Dalmatian. "What are you doing here?"

Mayday looked back to the fire at the sound of something crashing. "Sky, you gotta hurry!"

Sky hurriedly slipped out of her harness and used it to tie Spot Fire to a nearby post. "Stay." She ordered, dropping the visor of her helmet and hurrying towards the door to the burning building.

"Be careful, Sky."Dusty said into his radio.

" _Copy that, Dusty Storm."_ Sky replied. She disappeared into the building, and Dusty swallowed nervously. Blade kept his focused glare, but inside he worried for Sky as well.

 _Just get out of there alive, Raven._

Inside, Sky could see why Mayday said he'd have a hard time moving around. Tables were overturned and parts of the ceiling littered the floor. She had to climb over stuff to look around for the kids. Sky remembered Mayday once talking about how much he hated this diner because of the fire safety codes the place violated. Based on the cramped spaces, Sky could see why. She coughed, and Sky made a mental note to start bringing an oxygen mask and tank with her.

"Hello!" Sky shouted. "Anyone in here?"

"Over here!"

"Help us!"

Sky followed the voices until she reached the bathrooms. The voices came from the women's room, but the door wouldn't open. "Can you hear me?"

"We're in here!" a young girl's voice shouted.

"We can't breathe!" another girl whimpered.

"Is the door locked?" Sky asked.

"No, but it's blocked!" the first girl replied.

"Okay, just stay calm and stand away from the door!" Sky ordered. She leveled the pulaski in her hands and began hacking at the door. All that practice and firewood chopping came in handy; it took seconds for Sky to make a hole at least big enough to see through the door and check out the situation. She noticed the two girls: another BMW like her mother and a young human blonde. They cowered in a bathroom stall, staring at her fearfully and pleadingly. Sky looked around for the blockage, but to her surprise found only a burning wooden beam that fell through the ceiling. One end of the beam leaned against the door, keeping it in place and no doubt scaring the kids so much they wouldn't go near it. The door handle on their side of the door was broken, making it unable to be turned. Sky looked at the door again, and she saw the hinges on her side of the door.

"Get us out of here!" the human girl shouted.

"Just hang on!" Sky ordered. "Stay down and stay back!" The girls nodded in understanding, and Sky moved towards the hinges. She slammed the axe blade against the top hinge first, beginning to break it. After a few more swings, the hinge finally shattered to pieces. Sky jumped back as the pressure of the beam forced the top of the door to jerk forwards. The bottom hinge still kept the door in place, but it creaked terribly. Sky hooked the adze end of the pulaski on the top of the door, pulling it down with a mighty grunt of effort. She knelt down in time for the human child to leap into her arms, the poor child trembling fiercely. The BMW nuzzled her.

"Let's go." Sky urged. "Let's get out of here." She carried the human child while guiding the vehicle child through the flames and towards the door.

" _Chief to Riley."_ Mayday's voice crackled over Sky's radio. _"What's your status, Skylar?"_

"Just got the kids." Sky reported. "Heading towards the door now."

" _Copy that."_ Mayday said.

Sky finally saw the door and herded the BMW child towards it. But a loud, low creaking sound emitted from the ceiling, and Sky knew at once what would happen. She shoved the car child forward and then gently yet quickly tossed the human child out the door after her. Not a second later, a shower of debris fell between Sky and her only way out of the building.

Mayday jumped at the loud sound, but hurriedly drove forward and herded the children away from the building. "What about that firefighter?" the human child asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of it." Mayday assured, ushering the girls to the waiting paramedics. He turned back to the fire, switching on his radio. "Skylar, come in. Do you read me?"

" _I read you Mayday."_ Sky replied after a moment. _"Are the kids out?"_

"They're fine." Mayday assured. "What about you?"

A moment of static. _"No good. Door's blocked by debris and fire."_

"You have to find another way out, Sky. Search for a window or something."

" _I'm looking, Mayday, but there's nothing."_ Sky reported. _"All the windows are blocked."_

"Keep trying." Mayday urged. He wouldn't be much help, even if he could bust the door down. But if Sky could find an opening that's at least a little clear, he could hose it down to help.

Inside the building, Sky looked all around for a way out. But heavy amounts of debris blocked every possible exit. She wondered if she could hack at a wall or something with the pulaski, but that would take too long. Then, she noticed something.

"Mayday, I think I found something." Sky said into her radio.

" _What is it?"_ Mayday asked.

"A back door in the kitchen." Sky reported, making her way towards said door. "It's clear for now. I can get out there!"

" _Just hurry! This thing's gettin' hot!"_ Mayday urged.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Sky assured. "I'm almost—"

Sky skidded to a halt, frozen in the spot. The back door was still clear, but somebody stood in the doorway right in Sky's path to the exit. He looked so familiar, from his casual firefighter uniform to his dark green eyes. He held out his arms in a gesture that told Sky to stop, his face full of worry.

"Max?" Sky barely breathed the name.

" _Sky? Skylar answer me!"_

Sky jumped, realizing that Mayday, Blade, and Dusty all shouted at her over her radio. "Uh, yeah? What?"

" _Are you out yet?"_ Mayday asked.

"Almost." Sky said, starting towards the door. "I'm right—"

Suddenly, the figure of Max jumped forward and tackled Sky a split-second before a loud explosion erupted.

Everyone outside jumped at the explosion, and Mayday thought he'd lose his hearing for sure. Flames rolled from the windows, shattering the glass.

"Sky? Skylar, come in!" Mayday called into his radio.

"Sky? Can you hear us?" Dusty called.

"Come on, Raven, answer us!" Blade practically ordered. But Sky didn't answer, and the rest of the firefighters knew she might not make it out if they didn't think of something quickly.

Inside the building, Max berated himself. He managed to block the explosion from the gas stove, but the blow still knocked Sky unconscious. Now what could he do? Every other entryway was blocked. He couldn't just carry her out in fear of someone seeing him, especially Mayday.

"Just hang on." Max breathed, putting a hand to Sky's cheek. "Just hang on."

Mayday wracked his brain for an idea. He had no idea where Sky would be, and he couldn't guarantee he'd be able to find her if he risked going through all that debris. Dusty grew more and more anxious with every passing second, and a part of him wished he could just dive in there and search for Sky himself. Blade tried again and again to get in touch with Sky, to no avail. But he could feel through their Soul Connection that she was still alive. Unconscious, most likely, but still alive.

 _Now how to get her out of there._ Blade wondered. He then became aware of a loud, repetitive bark, and he glanced down towards Spot Fire. The Dalmatian fought to get free of the harness that tied her to the post, barking at the fire. Blade analyzed the dog's behavior for a moment. "Mayday, I think I have an idea."

" _What's that?"_ Mayday asked.

"Set the dog loose." Blade ordered.

" _What?"_ Mayday asked, Dusty echoing the confusion.

"The dog! Spot Fire! Let her loose!" Blade repeated.

Mayday looked to Spot Fire, confused by Blade's order. But the way Spot Fire lunged towards the fire and kept barking perked the fire truck's interest. So he wasted no time in pulling the harness off Spot Fire's neck.

"Be careful." Mayday ordered. Spot Fire glanced to him, then darted off and ducked into a hole in the debris blocking the door. Mayday continued applying water to the building, paying special attention to the front door so Spot Fire and Sky had a way out. Everyone waited with baited breath, staring at the smoking door hopefully. Blade hovered, at the perfect angle to stare at the door. Dusty kept circling around, dropping water on the fire and then coming back to check for signs of his friend.

A few long minutes passed.

Suddenly, some of the debris in front of the door fell away and scattered across the welcome mat.

The firefighters stared in anticipation.

Spot Fire came out, Sky holding onto her fur as she half-walked, half-dragged herself from the fire.

Most of the civilians cheered, and Dusty laughed in relief. Blade let out the breath he held in a sigh, ultra-relieved at the sight of Sky alive; singed, but alive. Mayday helped guide Sky and Spot Fire to the paramedics, thankful they were both all right. Once Sky could sit down on the gurney, her pulaski dropped from her hands. She panted and coughed, fresh air rushing into her lungs. She looked to Spot Fire, raising a shaky hand and resting it on the Dalmatian's head.

"Good dog." Sky rasped.

* * *

"For the last time, I am fine." Sky droned.

"The only reason you're fine is because of that dog." Skipper reminded her. "Now pipe down."

Sky huffed and rolled her eyes. "I never should've let Mayday tell you what happened at that fire." She, Skipper, Dusty, and Sparky made their way to the firehouse to check in with Mayday and Blade. After a successful firefight at the diner yesterday, Mayday had to make a few calls to the police chief and the girls' parents to get updates on the situation. Skipper insisted that Sky ride on his wing since she got hurt, despite her constant reassuring that she was fine. Sky still felt a little wobbly now and then from dehydration, but secretly she attributed most of her shaking to the fact that she saw Max. Well, she thought she did at least. It hurt her head and heart to think that she saw the ghost of the firefighter. For now, she just chalked it up to smoke inhalation making her hallucinate.

When they arrived at the firehouse, Sky noticed Spot Fire at the door munching on a hamburger. "Now where did you get that?"

"One of the residents brought it by for her." Blade explained, resting next to the dog. "I think she's starting to enjoy this attention."

"She's a hero. I don't blame her." Dusty chuckled.

"Good news." Mayday announced as he came out. "No other civilians were found in the fire, and the girls have minor injuries but nothing serious."

"That _is_ good news." Sky sighed.

"And how are you doing?" Mayday asked.

"Perky as ever if she would drink her water like she's supposed to." Sparky said.

"Sparky, if I drink any more water, I'm going to have to go to the bathroom like a dozen times." Sky protested. Everyone else chuckled at her expense.

"So that's it?" Dusty asked. "Is that all you needed to see us for?"

"Well, that and we have some news for you and Skylar." Mayday said.

"First off, I'm returning to Piston Peak tomorrow." Blade announced. "Mayday and I agreed that you two are cleared for building and wildfire firefighting."

"That's good." Sky nodded, though inside she felt a little sad Blade would be leaving.

"The other bit of news relates to you, Sky." Mayday said. "What happened at that fire convinced me and Blade that maybe Spot Fire _could_ be a good search and rescue dog."

"Really?" Sky asked excitedly.

"If she could run into a fire to get you, maybe she can do the same for someone else." Sparky guessed.

"That will require some training." Mayday assured. "But if you're up for the job, we can teach her and she can live in the firehouse."

"Absolutely!" Sky nodded excitedly. "You just tell me what she needs to know."

"She does seem to be up for it." Dusty noted, looking to Spot Fire. "I'll bet she can learn to trust other people now that she has a better home."

Spot Fire barked, as though to confirm this, and she darted over to jump onto Dusty's wing and start licking his canopy. Dusty tried to shy away, but couldn't avoid the onslaught of puppy love. Everyone else laughed at him.

"Hey, come on!" Dusty whined with a smile. "Sky, call her over!"

"Sorry, can't." Sky shrugged, coughing into her hand. "I'm sick, see?"

"Oh come on!" Dusty groaned.


	27. Hermanita

**A/N: It is much too early for Christmastime, but the timing makes sense in this oneshot. Here is the answer to your questions about Rosa's last name and her relation to Nick! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Hermanita**_

"Almost there!" Dusty announced over his radio.

"Roger that, Dusty." Skipper replied. "Sure is beautiful up here, you two. I see why you like it so much."

"You should see it over the summer!" Sky said. She looked out over the landscape from her perch on Dusty's back. Dusty and Skipper flew over Piston Peak National Park, the land now covered in a blanket of December snow. As a way to sort of celebrate the one-year anniversary of getting certified, Dusty and Sky decided they wanted to spend Christmas up at Piston Peak. When they radioed Maru about how to get reservations, the mechanic proceeded to insist that they all stay up at the base since most of the team would be home for the holidays. But Sky reasoned that her and Dusty's friends and family were coming too, so she and Dusty agreed to stay at the base while everyone else got rooms down at the lodge.

It only took a few more minutes to find the Air Attack base, and Dusty and Skipper headed down for a landing. Patch saw them coming, even through the falling snow, and immediately announced their arrival. Cabbie, Windlifter, Maru, and Blade came out to greet their friends, an invisible Nick bouncing excitedly next to Blade. The Smokejumpers and Dipper generally went home for the holidays, and wouldn't be back on base until spring. Dusty and Skipper landed on the runway and began taxiing over to the firefighters. Sky dismounted from Dusty, blowing warm air into her cupped, gloved hands. She dressed considerably warmer: leggings under her jeans, about three pairs of socks under her snow boots, and a sweatshirt under her firefighting jacket. She also wore a beanie, and she moved her goggles to rest on top of the hat.

"Hey guys!" Sky waved.

"Hey Raven!" Maru greeted. "Hey Dusty! Nice to see you two again."

"Always a pleasure to see you too, Commander Riley." Blade nodded to the Jolly Wrench. "Welcome to Piston Peak Air Attack."

"Great to be here." Skipper said.

"So is it just you guys?" Cabbie asked.

"We got a couple stragglers coming in on the train tomorrow." Skipper said.

"Chug, Dottie, and Sparky decided to fly over and then take the train to the lodge. Mayday's back at home taking care of things." Dusty explained. "Sky's old foster mother Rosa is coming up too."

"Great!" Maru said with a smile. "The more the merrier. Things tend to get quiet around here during the winter."

"Well things will certainly get livelier when everyone else arrives." Sky assured, readjusting her backpack on her shoulders. "Sparky's got my suitcase, anyway." A gust of wind suddenly hit them, forcing a couple shivers.

"Come on. Let's get back into the main hanger." Maru suggested. "We got heat lamps and hot drinks." Everyone agreed, following the tug into the large hanger. A small circle of heat lamps rested in the middle of the space, and Maru passed around the drinks. Patch joined them a few minutes later.

"So you still keep in touch with your old foster mom?" Blade asked Sky amidst the conversations happening.

"Yeah." Sky nodded. "She's the closest thing I have to an actual mom, so I talk to her when I can. The orphans love it when Dusty and I come to visit. I think you'll like her."

"Can't wait to meet her." Blade agreed.

Sky swallowed another gulp of her cocoa. "I'm going to toss my bag in the hanger. Be right back." She stood, shouldering her backpack again as she slipped out the door to brave the falling snow. The wind picked up again, making the snowfall a borderline snowstorm, but Sky simply jogged through the flurries to Blade's hanger and slipped inside. She shut the door after her and brushed the snow off her jacket.

Nick materialized in front of her. "It really is good to see you again, _Cuervo."_

"It's good to see you too, Nick." Sky said with a smile. She climbed up to the platform next to her hammock, setting her backpack on top.

"Your dad seems really nice." Nick said. "Bet it must've been interesting being raised by a Navy plane."

"Interesting is certainly an appropriate word to use." Sky giggled.

"And this Rosa person." Nick said. "I remember you mentioning her. What's she like?"

"Really nice." Sky said. "She took me in after my parents abandoned me. Even on my worst days, she never ever gave up on me. I love her so much, and I'm so happy her second-in-command could take over for her so she could come up."

"Second-in-command?" Nick repeated, sounding confused.

"Oh yeah." Sky nodded. "Rosa runs a foster house. She recently hired another foster mother to help out and look after the place while she's gone."

Nick suddenly froze, his eyes going a bit wide. "A foster house? What's the name? Of the orphanage, I mean."

Sky's eyes narrowed a little in confusion. "Uh, the Lopez Foster House. Rosa's full name is Rosalinda Lopez."

Nick's jaw dropped. _"Qué?! Por qué no me lo dijiste?!"_

Sky blinked. "Huh?"

Nick sighed impatiently. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Sky asked, still confused.

"That your foster mother was Rosalinda Lopez!" Nick said.

"So what?" Sky shrugged.

"Sky, I think I know her! She's my little sister!" Nick said, sounding shocked and excited at the same time.

"Nick, just because you two have the same last name doesn't mean you are related." Sky protested.

"Then I want to meet her!" Nick declared.

"One, you might scare her half to death." Sky pointed out. "Two, there is no way you are related because you two are _different species_."

"Irrelevant. I want to meet her." Nick insisted.

"Nick, it's not going to happen." Sky countered, making her way outside and back towards the main hanger. "Maybe you do have a sister named Rosalinda, but it's not my Rosa."

"You don't know that for sure." Nick protested.

"But I do know that you might frighten her, and I can't allow that." Sky said. "I want this trip to be enjoyable for her."

"Come on, _Cuervo._ " Nick begged. "Please? I have to know for sure."

"I'm sorry, Nick." Sky said sincerely. "But we can't exactly advertise your presence to the entire world and I don't want to scare Rosa. I have to meet her and everyone else at the train station tomorrow. You can join us if you'd like."

Nick sighed sadly. He stopped and stared at the ground, and Sky turned to face him. Nick stared at Sky with pleading amber eyes. "Please, Sky. If it really is my _hermanita_ , I want to see her again."

Sky was still doubtful. No way could Rosa actually be related to Nick. Rosa once told her that she was born in New Mexico, and Nick was born in southern Mexico. But that look he gave her….

"Let me ask Rosa about her family first." Sky requested. "You can still come to the station with me if you want."

Nick stared at Sky for a moment before sighing again. "All right."

* * *

Nick decided to not join in the trip to the lodge to meet everyone, so Dusty and Blade joined Sky in their trek to the lodge and to the station. The lodge looked better than new after the inferno from Dusty and Sky's training. Jammer kept many of the decorations and workings that Cad installed, but the atmosphere was much quieter now. It was definitely calmer since winter set in over the park. Skipper met them down in the lobby and they made their way to the station to wait for Muir to come in. Once the train finally arrived, Sky jumped up onto Dusty's wing to search for the Propwash Residents. After a minute, she saw Chug waving his fuel nozzle arm. He, Dottie, Sparky, and Rosa made their way over. Rosa was also bundled up in winter gear, complete with a matching set of gloves, scarf, and earmuffs.

"So glad you could all make it." Sky said. "Especially you, Rosa." She hugged her foster mother, who returned the embrace and kissed Sky's head.

"It is so good to see you again, Skylar dear." Rosa said.

"Well come on inside!" Dusty encouraged. "Blade and Skipper are waiting for us!" He led the way as everyone started inside the warmth of the lodge. Skipper and Blade greeted them as they approached.

"Glad you all made it safely." Skipper said.

"Rosa, I want you to meet the fire chief who trained me and Dusty." Sky said, gesturing to Blade.

Blade did a near-perfect double-take, and he stared at Rosa in shock. "Rosie?"

"Rosie?" Sky repeated in confusion.

Rosa's jaw dropped. "Blade Ranger, as I live and breathe!" She laughed as she came over to hug Blade, the helicopter chuckling and nuzzling the woman. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I work here." Blade chuckled.

Rosa looked to Sky. "And you didn't tell me?"

Sky shook her head to get rid of the shock. "Uh, didn't exactly come up in conversation. I'm sorry, you two know each other?"

"Blade and I are good friends." Rosa confirmed. "My goodness, it's been so long since we saw each other."

"Much too long." Blade agreed.

Sky blinked. She blinked again. Dusty chuckled at the sight. "Well this turned out to be an interesting trip. Sky, why don't you, Rosa, and Blade go catch up at the café? Chug, Dottie, Sparky, I'll show you guys to your rooms."

"Wait, what?" Sky turned, but the Propwash residents already rolled off. She groaned, face-palming.

Rosa giggled. "It's all right, Skylar. I suppose I owe you an explanation. Come, let's get something to drink. Something hot sounds absolutely divine right now."

Sky finally shrugged and followed Rosa and Blade over to the lodge café. The minute they sat down, Sky requested the story of how Blade and Rosa knew each other. Rosa laughed and she pulled a small photo album from her backpack. She flipped open the denim cover and show Sky a picture. Sky's jaw nearly dropped when she saw it. A little girl version of Rosa sat amongst a group of Hughes MD helicopters. One of the helicopters looked only a few years older than the little girl Rosa, colored red, green, and white; the second helicopter looked like a young adult, colored beige and black; the third helicopter was a female white and maroon, younger than middle-aged but certainly looking like the mother. The smallest helicopter had familiar amber eyes.

 _That's Nick._ Sky realized. She subtly shook off her shock. "So, who are they?"

"My family." Rosa explained. "I was an orphan, like you, only I had lost my parents to muggers. I was adopted by this lovely family who recently moved to America from Mexico. That there is my mother—" She pointed to the maroon and white female helicopter. "—and that's my oldest brother, Juan." She pointed to the beige and black helicopter.

"Juan?" Blade asked. "I thought his name was Ben."

"Does he still go by that ridiculous name?" Rosa laughed.

"You're saying he changed his name?" Blade asked.

"Oh yes." Rosa nodded.

"Why would he do that?" Sky asked.

"Unfortunately, because he was ashamed." Rosa explained. "Like many children from Mexico, Juan and the entire Lopez family faced discrimination when they came to America. I've heard that Juan was often teased by his schoolmates. This was before I came into the family, but Mamá told me that things changed after they moved from Texas to New Mexico. Juan went into his middle school classroom and gave his teacher the name 'Ben' instead of his own. After that, Juan insisted that we call him by his 'new American name.'"

"How silly." Sky giggled.

"Well, Mamá and Nick knew how to face discrimination with bravery and dignity, and they never let it bother them. Juan was another story." Rosa said. "Which reminds me, that's my second brother's name." She pointed to the smallest helicopter in the picture. "Nick Enrique Lopez. Always proud of his name, always knew how to make people laugh, especially me." She flipped to another picture, this one showing an older Rosa standing with Nick and Blade. The two helicopters were in their _"CHoPs"_ paintjobs. "That's how I met Blade, you see. He and Nick worked as actors on a show back in the seventies."

"Now _that_ is something I managed to find out about Blade." Sky said, laughing as Blade rolled his eyes at her. "Didn't know this Nick guy was your brother, though." She stared at the picture for a moment. "So…..is Nick still an actor or is he a real police officer now?"

Blade stared at the table. He knew Sky was covering up the fact that Nick's ghost pretty much haunted the Piston Peak Air Attack base, but it didn't make the question any less painful. He hated thinking about Nick's death. He may still be around, but it didn't change that he wasn't exactly all there.

"No, Skylar dear." Rosa sighed, some sorrow coming to her tone. "Nick was killed in a work accident a long time ago." She grinned to Blade. "Which must be why we haven't seen each other for so long. What with you disappearing to follow your firefighting dreams."

Blade chuckled. "It's a good job. That's for sure."

Sky felt like her brain spun like a top in her skull. She needed answers, and she couldn't ask Rosa the questions she had. "Well, I can see you two need some time to catch up. So why don't you just hang out here and I'm going to jog back up to the base. I just remembered that Maru wanted my help with…Christmas decorations."

"All right. Have fun." Rosa gave Sky a hug. "We'll see you later." Sky jogged to the door, waiting until she was out of sight from Blade and Rosa before breaking into a sprint.

"It's so good to see you again, Blade." Rosa said. "Come to think of it, when did we see each other last?"

Blade thought for a moment. "Not since after Nick's funeral, I think. Or was it at the funeral?"

"No, it must've been after." Rosa corrected. "I couldn't make it to Nick's funeral."

"Oh right!" Blade nodded. "You had school."

"Entrance tests and a summer internship." Rosa added. "And Nick was always so proud of my work. I had wanted to come out, but he'd be turning in his grave if I did."

"And now you run an orphanage?" Blade asked.

Rosa nodded proudly. "I studied child development and then moved out to a small Minnesota town to open an orphanage. I wanted to take care of children until they could find proper families while making adoption easier for families in rural areas."

"I remember you saying that once." Blade thought about it. "Right! Your graduation from college. I managed to make it out to that."

"Of course!" Rosa sighed. "My memory is certainly not what it used to be. Of course, being around children all the time can take a lot out of you."

"It _has_ been a while, hasn't it?" Blade noted. "I haven't really been visiting much."

"Not at all." Rosa assured. "I don't get to do much traveling while I'm taking care of the children." She patted Blade's muzzle. "I'm very happy I could come out this time. It's nice to catch up."

Blade smiled. "Yeah."

* * *

By the time Sky reached the base, she panted like a dog and her breath came out in clouds in the cold air. She didn't stop, however, and hurried into the warmth of Blade's hanger and shut the door after her.

"Nick?" Sky panted. "Nick! We gotta talk!"

Nick soon appeared, looking concerned. "You all right?"

Sky took a minute to catch her breath. "She's your sister. My foster mother is your _sister_."

Nick stared. "Really? I was right?"

"Rosa told me about being adopted by your family." Sky explained. "I can't believe it! What are the odds that, as a little girl, I would be taken in by the sister of the guy who's the best friend of my Soul Connect partner?!"

Nick chuckled. "Fate can be strange that way."

"But how?" Sky asked. "I mean, what happened?"

"Well, that's kind of an interesting story." Nick said, sighing with a nostalgic look in his eyes. "See, my dad died before I was born, and after I was born Mamá moved us all up to Texas. I started elementary school in New Mexico, and when I was ten Mamá brought home Rosalinda." Nick sighed again. "Oh she was so beautiful. This little girl, full of life and love even given her circumstances, was my little sister. She and I loved each other, and we spent almost every waking moment together."

Sky felt touched, awed by such a story. "So why did your mom adopt her?"

"Mamá had talked about adoption after Papá died." Nick said. "She always wanted a little girl of her own. Besides, my brother was moving out and Mamá wanted an American-born Mexican to help us ease into the American life. She found Rosalinda."

Sky sighed in awe. "That's incredible."

Nick chuckled. "I wouldn't say incredible. We were just taking a little girl into our home and hearts."

"Tell that to the girl who wasn't adopted until she was eleven." Sky scoffed softly.

Nick cringed slightly. "Right. Sorry."

"It's okay." Sky assured. "I'm happy things worked out the way they did."

Nick nodded. "So, now that you know she's my sister, can I talk to her?"

"Of course." Sky nodded. "But we have to be gentle about it. We don't want to startle her. And she just arrived today."

Nick thought about it for a moment. "Then how about Christmas Eve? That's in two days. She'll be all settled by then."

"You sure you can wait that long?" Sky asked.

"Absolutely." Nick nodded. "It'll give me time to think of what I'm going to say to her."

* * *

For the next two days, Dusty and Sky showed their friends around Piston Peak. They introduced them to the Air Attack team currently on base, took them on a winter hike, and they had dinner in the lodge. Cad had gotten rid of several old Christmas traditions of the park, so Jammer made it his goal to bring them back for the enjoyment of the staff and the campers who came. One of these traditions was a party on the evening of the twenty-third. It took a lot of encouragement from Maru, Sky, and eventually Nick to force Blade into going, and in the end the fire chief claimed he only went to spend more time with Rosa.

"That's only half a lie, I hope you know." Nick told Sky as she got ready for the party. "He's just not big on crowds. Usually he likes to be alone."

"Christmas is a time to be with family and the people that care about you." Sky said. "Blade could use a little family time. Speaking of which, have you figured out what you're going to tell Rosa tomorrow?"

"I think so." Nick nodded. "I have a plan and I'm going to need your help to do it."

"Whatever you need." Sky agreed.

"Thanks." Nick said. "I really do appreciate it. But you guys go enjoy the party for now."

"We will." Sky nodded, assuring. "Thanks."

She departed the hanger, catching Blade before he could bail out at the last minute. She and Dusty led the way as the team made their way to the lodge. The building was all aglow with Christmas lights and modest decorations, and a couple of the staff members stood at the door to greet everyone. Inside, more lights were strung about the rafters and beams of the lobby, wreaths hung in seemingly random places along the walls, and a large Christmas tree stood in the corner. The fire team quickly found the Propwash folks over by one of the fireplaces.

"Hey folks!" Jammer greeted as he came up. "Glad you all could make it."

"Well it's nice to finally come down and see a quieter party." Blade admitted, glancing around the room.

"Don't get too excited." Jammer chuckled. "Some of the staff insisted on dancing in the larger dining hall."

"Sounds fun!" Sky said. "Come on, Dusty!"

"Hey, wait up!" Dusty called, hurrying after Sky as she darted off.

"How old is she again?" Blade asked Skipper.

"Hard to say anymore." Skipper chuckled.

Everyone dispersed to enjoy themselves. Cabbie parked himself at the outdoor fire pits, chatting with Skipper about their war days. Maru stuck around with Sparky, Chug, and Dottie, all of them talking about things happening in Propwash Junction. Windlifter drifted around, never staying in the one place for more than a few minutes before moving to observe everything from a different angle. Rosa and Blade spent most of the evening together, talking until they basically outlined their entire pasts to each other.

"What exactly was going through your canopy that you thought it was a good idea to fly after being injured?" Rosa demanded.

Blade still remembered the searing pain from his burns and the harsh impact with the ground that sent his senses into complete chaos. It almost made him cringe. "It's a chief thing, I suppose."

"A chief thing, he says." Rosa rolled her eyes. "Blade Ranger, you are something else."

Blade chuckled. "I'm not exactly who I used to be, that's for sure."

Rosa noticed the light sorrow coming to Blade's tone. "You know, I remember the day we first met. Nick invited me out to see where he worked, and he said he wanted me to meet his best friend. I couldn't believe how excited he was. Then I met you, and I realized why he was so excited."

"What do you mean?" Blade asked.

"Nick never got along with Juan, as I'm sure he mentioned once or twice." Rosa explained. "Always a difference in opinions, especially when it came to their heritage and where they were born. There were times when even I couldn't get Nick to talk about what he was feeling. But then he met you. You, who could get him to talk about whatever is going wrong in his day, who always offered advice, who could just _be_ there. You made a difference in Nick's life."

Blade cracked a smile. "He certainly made a difference in mine. Never had any siblings myself, and Nick was the closest thing I had to a brother."

Rosa sighed softly. "I miss him."

Blade cast a look to Rosa. "Yeah…..yeah, me too."

Rosa cleared her throat. "Well, I think I'm going to get some dinner. Would you like anything?"

"Uh, no, thank you." Blade said. "I'm going outside for a while. It's getting stuffy in here."

"Now don't you go sneaking back to that base when we're not looking." Rosa scolded, laughing as she and Blade parted ways. Blade chuckled softly, making his way out the door and towards a quiet section of the cobblestone area. Nobody else was around, so Blade let himself relax.

"Hey Nick." He called softly.

After a minute, Nick appeared beside Blade. "Hey partner."

The two of them sat in silence for a while.

"Sometimes I forget that everyone else can't see you." Blade finally said. "Raven and I are the only ones who know you're here."

Nick sighed. "Yeah. I mean, I check in on my mom now and then, but I didn't even know where Rosa went after I died. I wasn't worried about them. I was worried about _you._ But after this…" He sighed again. "I don't know."

"Nick, I know you're scared to hurt the people you care about." Blade said. "It's understandable. You decide who you want to reveal yourself to. I really don't have a say in the matter."

Nick stared at the ground. "I'm going to show myself to Rosa. I want to talk to her again. But Mamá and my brother…they don't need to see me."

Blade nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

Sky inhaled, then exhaled slowly. This was it. She didn't think she'd be nervous about showing Nick to Rosa. She wasn't nearly this worried when she tried to get Nick to show himself to Blade. But things were different now that her foster mother was involved. Who knows how Rosa would react seeing her surrogate brother's ghost? Still, she couldn't turn back now. So Sky approached Rosa during lunch and invited her out on a hike when they finished eating. Rosa happily accepted, seeming excited to spend some quality time with Sky. The two women bundled up and began their hike. Blade followed a short distance behind them, having been roped into the plan by Sky.

Rosa and Sky didn't talk much for a while, just enjoying the beautiful winter scenery. All the trees had nice thick layers of snow on them, and the snow at their feet crunched with every step.

After a minute, Sky looked to Rosa. "Say, doesn't it seem a little ironic that an orphan would start an orphanage?"

Rosa laughed. "I suppose some might think that. But when I was made an orphan as a little girl, I was given a second chance at a family. I was so thankful, and from my experience I knew the psychological damage that happens to orphans. So, when I received my second chance, I knew I wanted to help other orphans get the same opportunity."

"Why?" Sky asked. "I mean, how could you help by being a foster mother?"

"I helped by always letting the children know they were loved." Rosa said. "You ought to know that being an orphan isn't easy. Sometimes children come in who were abandoned, had their family killed, or were even taken from their previous families by Child Protection Services. More often than not, these kids go through life believing they did something wrong or that they don't deserve a good family. Many of them were like you, who believed they'd never be adopted. Remember how angry you always got as a child?"

Sky chuckled softly. "Yeah. I was a real pain, huh?"

"No different than quite a few other orphans your age." Rosa assured. "But that's why I never gave up on you. I knew that if I could assure those kids that they were special and loved, they'd never give up hope of finding a family."

Sky smiled broadly, and she suddenly pulled Rosa into a hug. Rosa giggled and returned the embrace. "I love you, Rosa."

"I love you too, Skylar dear." Rosa kissed the young woman's head. "I don't always like to get so attached to the children in the foster house, but I am so happy to have met you."

Sky blinked to keep her tears away and she pulled back. "I'm really happy I met you too. I'm thankful that you never gave up on me. And, as a way to thank you, I have something I want to show you."

"Oh?" Rosa asked.

"It's something a friend of mine wanted to do, and at first I wasn't sure. But a few days ago, when you showed me the picture of your family, I realized this is the right thing to do." Sky explained. "To be honest, I knew about your brother Nick before you even mentioned him."

Rosa blinked in surprise. "You did? How?"

"Blade told me." Sky said. "And then…something happened. So I need you to do me a favor and wait here, okay?" She began walking off.

"You aren't really going to leave me out here alone, _chica_?" Rosa asked.

"You won't be alone." Sky said, disappearing through the trees.

Rosa looked around for a moment before starting to follow her. "Skylar—"

"Rosalinda, wait!"

Rosa froze, her eyes going wide. She didn't move for a long moment, and then she turned around to the source of the voice. Her cocoa-colored eyes met the familiar amber orbs of someone she never thought she'd see again. Nick stared back at her, fully visible but with a faint blue aura around him. For the longest moment, the two of them only stared at each other, and Nick feared he may have inadvertently scared Rosa. Then, she stepped forward until she stood right in front of him. Rosa's stare became more focused.

" _Hermano?"_ she breathed.

Nick swallowed and smiled. "Hey _hermanita._ Long time, no see."

Rosa's hands flew to her mouth. _"Dios Mío."_ She laughed and suddenly threw herself forward to hug him. Nick chuckled, struggling to keep back his tears, and he nuzzled her lovingly. The two of them stayed like that for a moment, unable to pull away. " _Hermano."_ Rosa sighed. "So this is where you've been?"

Nick sighed. "Yeah. Decided to follow Blade after I died. I would've visited you too, but I had no idea where you went and I just—"

Rosa shushed him. "It's okay, _hermano._ I'm just so happy to see you again." She hugged the ghost once more, sighing happily. Nick gave her another loving nuzzle.

In the trees and out of their sight, Blade and Sky watched the tender scene with twin smiles. "Come on." Blade encouraged quietly. "Let's give them some time alone."

"Yeah." Sky nodded, following Blade through the trees to find a clear place to take off.

* * *

Nick and Rosa spent the rest of the day talking. Nick didn't have a lot to tell since he spent all his time with Blade, but he wanted to hear every detail about Rosa's life as a foster mother. He even got to hear the story of Sky's adoption. Rosa was just happy to speak to Nick again. When the sun began to set, she became a bit sad because she knew she would have to return to the base soon so no one would worry. But Nick reassured her with the promise that they would talk again before she returned home, and he would make an effort to check in with her more often at the foster house.

Sky met up with Rosa on the way back to base so nobody would ask questions. The second they got close enough, Rosa pulled Sky into a tight hug.

" _Muchas gracias_ , Skylar dear." Rosa sighed. "Best Christmas gift ever."

Sky smiled broadly. "I was happy to give it. And I think it made Nick happy too."

Rosa laughed as they continued to the base. "No need to wonder about that."

"Hey girls!" Chug called as Rosa and Sky emerged from the trees. He stood with Dottie, Sparky, and Skipper at the entrance to the base. "We were wondering where you went!"

"Just on a nice, relaxing walk." Sky shrugged.

"Well we're heading back to the lodge for the night, if you'd like to join us, Rosa." Skipper said.

"I think I will." Rosa nodded. She hugged Sky again. "Goodnight, Skylar. Merry Christmas." She walked off with the Propwash Junction folks, all of them descending down the path towards the lodge.

Sky couldn't keep the smile off her lips. "Merry Christmas, Mom."

* * *

" _Cuervo! Hermano!_ Hey Blade and Sky! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Sky and Blade both moaned sleepily, and no matter how hard they tried they couldn't block out Nick's excited voice. Nor could they really ignore him nudging them incessantly. So they forced themselves to open their eyes, and they gave the bouncy ghost mildly withering glares. Nick looked more wide-awake than usual, his eyes alert and shining with energy.

"What do you want, Nick?" Blade demanded.

"Wake up, sleepy-heads!" Nick shouted. "It's Christmas! Ya gotta get up!"

Sky checked Blade's clock. "It's like six in the morning. The sun isn't even up yet."

"So what?" Nick asked. "It's Christmas! You can wake up any time of the morning! Oh! I'm gonna go wake up Rosa!" He disappeared.

Sky rubbed her face. "Did he always do this when he was alive?"

"You kidding?" Blade yawned. "Every Christmas morning, after he was done waking his family, he would call me at the same ungodly hour. Always did love the holidays." He yawned again. "But, I will admit, that wake-up call wasn't exactly something I missed."

Sky sighed. "Well, he woke me up. Now I can't fall asleep again." She sat up, crawling out of her hammock and grabbing her jacket. She climbed down to the ground and pulled on her socks and boots, stepping outside the hanger. Seeing the freshly fallen snow all around her, Sky couldn't help but smile. She took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly and watching the cloud of her breath disperse in the air. After a minute, Blade came out to rest beside her. He smiled a little.

"I always did like the view from my hanger." Blade admitted.

"It's a great view." Sky agreed. She leaned against him. "Merry Christmas."

Blade nuzzled her. "Merry Christmas."

Skipper, Sparky, Dottie, Chug, and Rosa came up to the base at a much more reasonable hour. Rosa looked perky as ever, especially after her brother's wake-up call. Though she had been somewhat annoyed, she actually kind of missed the Christmas greeting from Nick. Everyone gathered in the main hanger to chat and exchange gifts, but at one point Rosa slipped away with the excuse that she was going out for fresh air. When Sky secretly investigated, she discovered Rosa and Nick chatting away once more. Sky could only smile at the sight, and she left them alone.

"I still can't believe you're here." Rosa sighed. "It's so good to see you again."

"It's great to talk to you too, _hermanita._ " Nick said. "I promise I'll come out and see you when I can."

"Oh, don't you worry too much about that." Rosa assured. "You need to keep an eye on Blade. He's family too."

Nick chuckled. "Yeah. Yeah, he is." He looked out towards Sky, currently building a snowman near the runway. "And so is Sky. She's such a good kid. So full of happiness and energy." He sighed, his smile shrinking. "Why did her parents abandon her?"

"Because they couldn't see the beautiful little girl I saw when I took her in." Rosa said. "They saw her powers as a birth defect, not a gift. I always hate thinking about that time, because she used to be so angry and bitter at everything and everyone around her. But I look at her now, and I almost have a hard time believing she used to be that way."

"Yeah." Nick agreed. "She sure is lucky."

Rosa smiled warmly. _It's so good to have my family whole again._

Rosa and Nick jumped when Sky let out a girly shriek, and they saw her jumping around trying to get snow out of the back of her jacket. She whipped around, and Rosa and Nick followed her gaze to Chug and Dusty a short distance away.

"Chug did it!" Dusty said.

"Tattletale!" Chug pouted.

"Guys…." Sky growled.

"We were just having a snowball fight." Chug said innocently. "Why don't you join us?"

"I'm an unfair advantage." Sky said, going back to her snowman. But she paused when another snowball hit her, this time on the shoulder. "Chug, I'm warning you…"

"Come on, Sky!" Chug encouraged.

"What's the matter?" Dusty teased in a friendly manner. "Chicken?"

"That is in inappropriate slur, as you know, because chickens are not timid by nature." Sky said matter-of-factly. "And no, I'm not chicken." Dusty and Chug shared a look and then proceeded to make clucking noises. Sky glared, and she scooped up some snow and threw it. The snowball hit Chug squarely in his windshield, and he laughed as he wiped the glass clear. He scooped up more snow and threw it at Sky, but she ducked away in time and returned fire. Dusty and Chug ducked out of the way, and the snowball sailed through the air and hit Maru as the tug came out to investigate the ruckus.

"Hey!" Maru snapped, snow dusting his roof.

"Oops." Sky said. "Sorry!"

"Oh, 'sorry' ain't gonna help ya here!" Maru called, scooping up a snowball and chucking it. This snowball hit Sky's knee as she tried to dodge it.

"Free-for-all!" Dusty called, throwing snow at Chug.

The snowball fight only escalated from there, quickly joined in by Rosa, Patch, Sparky, Dottie, and even Skipper. When Sky ended up under a tree, Nick took the opportunity to knock snow loose from the branches and douse her. But she couldn't exactly throw a snowball back at him, so she only glowered/pouted while Nick stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry. Instead of going after Nick, Sky decapitated her would-be snowman and hurled the large snowball at Dusty. The snow-dusted plane smirked and darted towards her, lifting another part of the snowman onto his wing. Sky ran, but Dusty gave a mighty throw and sent the giant snowball flying. Sky dove, landing in the snow and the snowball soaring over her head.

 _SPLAT!_

Everyone froze, staring in shock when they realized the snowball found a new target: Blade, who had parked outside the main hanger with Windlifter and Cabbie to watch the show. Snow fell from Blade's roof visor and dusted his muzzle. He gave a deadpan stare, then locked an irritated glare onto Dusty.

"Oooohhhhh." Sky moaned. "You're in trouble."

Dusty gulped, wondering how Blade would react. For a while, Blade didn't say nor move. Then he turned and rolled off, disappearing into the forest. Everyone stared after him, rather confused.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Dusty asked no one in particular.

"Not quite sure anymore." Maru admitted.

Out in the forest, Blade found a place to start up his rotors and hover in the air. He looked around for a moment and found the perfect weapon just nearby. Flying over, he opened his hoist hatch and threw the hook and cable to loop it around the top of a tree covered completely in a thick layer of snow. Blade pulled back, dipping his tail down to get the extra leverage. The tree creaked in protest, and then let out a satisfying _snap_ when Blade let go.

Back on the base, the snowball fight started up again soon after Blade's departure. But as Sky prepared to throw another snowball at Dusty, she noticed something above him and her eyes widened.

"Oh Chevy!" She yelped, scurrying away with most everyone else following suit. Dusty stared at them curiously when he noticed a faint shadow coming over him. Turning around, he had just enough time to see the blanket of snow flying through the air right before it covered him. He immediately began shivering as biting cold slithered across his hide. Nobody bothered to hide nor stop their laughter. Sky actually collapsed to the ground, holding her stomach. Blade touched down with a wry smirk on his lips.

"Hey Champ." Blade said as he rolled past the plane. "You seem to be covered in snow."

"Y-y-y-you're s-s-s-s-s-s-so e-e-e-ev-v-v-vil-l-l-l-l." Dusty shivered terribly.

"Have we not met?" Blade said nonchalantly.

"Evil." Dusty sneezed.


	28. Blindsided

**Blindsided**

Harley had a boyfriend.

In hindsight, her friends and family should've seen this coming. Harley didn't take after her mother in several aspects, especially since the better and larger part of her life was spent being raised by the Radiator Springs townsfolk (especially Doc). But one of the things she _did_ inherit was her mother's prettiness. She often ran into young men, especially when she traveled with Lightning to races. But she never paid much attention to them save for the occasional pleasant conversation. If the man or boy tried to go any farther, he'd be quickly shut down by one of Harley's family members (usually Sarge or Sheriff). So when Harley met Brian and actually brought him back to Radiator Springs to introduce him to everyone, there was a mix of interest and confusion. As expected, the men of the family were up in arms and ready to fight off the dangerous boy out to steal their precious gem. But they calmed down with Harley's encouragement, and the townsfolk discovered Brian to be humorous, kind, and quite the gentleman. Even Holley and Siddeley liked him.

There were two road blocks in the relationship: Finn and Sheriff, the two cars most protective of Harley.

Finn didn't see a problem with Brian just yet. However, he could see Harley's and Brian's relationship as strictly boyfriend/girlfriend. It wasn't exactly love, and it most likely wouldn't develop into that for at least a couple years. Still, Finn could notice moments where Brian did things that seemed a bit crude. When he thought nobody looked, Brian would stare at Harley's butt or breasts. He'd brush his fingers against her thigh or hip and laugh it off like he was embarrassed for doing it. Finn got a sinking feeling in his stomach, but he couldn't decide if he was overreacting or not. So he resolved to keep an eye on Harley for now.

Sheriff was always tense when he saw Harley and Brian together. Finn noticed this, but chalked it up to light trauma from the incident with Emily several months prior. Sheriff wouldn't admit that he compared Brian to John, from the way he acted to the way he looked (even if Brian was a blonde). Sheriff remembered how nice John seemed until he ultimately betrayed the town by killing Paula along with himself. Sheriff had a gut feeling that didn't like Brian, but he had qualms over asking Harley about it since she seemed happy with him.

When _it_ happened, Finn and Sheriff were still surprised.

Harley didn't think she had any reason to distrust Brian. He was courteous, gentlemanly, and almost chivalrous. She thought they had a good relationship, and she wasn't afraid to act more like a girl around him. Including tonight, when they planned to go out to dinner and a movie in another town near Radiator Springs. Harley dressed in jeans, a pretty rose-colored blouse, and red ballet flats. Somehow, Brian convinced her to not wear her roller skates since she tended to stand about an inch taller than him when she did. Brian met her at Flo's and they took a taxi out of town. Harley checked her purse before they left, making sure she had everything essential. She physically touched the small earpiece radio Finn gave her, just to make sure it was there should she need it. She always liked to keep this radio on her person should any emergency arise and she couldn't use her cell phone. Harley nodded a little in satisfaction and relaxed in her seat. Brian put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in so close she got a full inhale of his cologne.

When the taxi stopped, Brian and Harley exited and the latter found they were in a residential area with an apartment complex in front of them. Brian thanked the taxi and the car drove off.

"Uh, what are we doing here?" Harley asked.

"I just gotta grab something from my apartment." Brian said. "We'll walk to the movie theater."

"Okay, but hurry up." Harley said, checking her phone for the time. "The movie starts in half an hour."

"Can do, babe." Brian said, walking off. Harley watched him go, shaking her head. Brian generally called her "babe" rather than her own name. But she'd let him have this one. Harley stayed on the sidewalk, looking up and down the road for anything interesting that might pass by. The nighttime streets long since went quiet save for the sounds of traffic in the distance.

What Harley assumed would've been a quick trip became much longer than she thought. Harley checked the time thrice before she decided to go up to Brian's apartment and check on the holdup. She had visited Brian's apartment only once before for a quick trip that was actually quick. But she recognized the green door with the rusted number 13 above the peephole. She knocked on the door.

"Hey Brian!" Harley called. "We're going to miss the movie and I told my folks I would be back home by ten!" Nobody answered, so Harley knocked again. "Brian, come on! What's the holdup?" Again, no answer. Harley felt apprehensive, wondering what could've happened. A strange sensation came over her, like a bug crawling over her skin, and she suddenly got the urge to run. But if something happened to Brian… "Hey Brian! Are you hurt at all? Can you answer me?" No answer, until there was a crashing sound from inside. Harley hurriedly opened the door, hardly thinking about the fact that it was unlocked. But when Harley looked around, she saw shattered remains of some crockery and no sign of Brian.

 _WHAM!_

Harley jumped when the door slammed shut, and she spun around to see Brian locking the door. That urge to run away came back. "Brian, what are you doing?"

Brian stared at the curves of Harley's body. "You're such a pretty girl, babe." He said, stepping towards her. "I bet you rock it in the bed."

"Boy, I _know_ you aren't thinking what I think you're thinking." Harley growled. Brian suddenly grabbed her wrist, and she responded by swinging her purse around and smacking him in the head. Brian was dazed only for a moment before he backhanded Harley and ripped her purse from her hand. While she was dazed, Brian tossed the purse aside and made another grab for Harley. He ended up taking a fistful of her blouse and tore it when he yanked on the fabric. Harley tried to punch him, but he suddenly ducked behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso, tightly hugging her to his chest.

"You're not gonna fight this, babe." Brian growled. "Or I'll make you suffer while we do it."

Harley let out a snarl. "Oh I am _not_ a damsel in distress!" She jerked her head back, colliding her skull with Brian's nose. He let her down, and Harley let out her attacks in quick succession: a stomp on the foot, an elbow to the stomach, and a fierce punch to the face that knocked Brian out cold. Harley panted a bit, blowing some loose hair from her face. "Jackwagon." She hurried to her fallen purse, rummaging through it and searching for her radio.

" _Harley? Harley, are you there? Do you read me?"_

Harley paused at the faint voice. "Finn?" She looked over and saw her earpiece radio resting nearby. She picked it up and realized with a start that Finn called for her anxiously. A movement caught Harley's eye, and she looked up.

A car's shadow was cast across the wall.

Harley gasped and spun around, but saw nothing. Her nerves were completely shot by then, and she hurriedly put the radio in her ear and adjusted the microphone. "I read you, Finn."

" _Harley, I received an SOS signal from your radio."_ Finn said. A revving engine in the background told Harley he drove at a very high speed. _"What happened?"_

 _I didn't do that. At least, I hadn't yet._ Harley shook off her confusion. "Finn, I need you to come pick me up from Brian's apartment. Bring Sheriff and Mater too."

" _They're with me."_ Finn assured. _"Harley, what happened?"_

Harley glanced to the unconscious Brian. "A mistake."

* * *

Needless to say, Finn, Sheriff, and Mater were horrified when they found out what happened. Sheriff called the local police station to tell them about the incident. Once Harley gave her statement and even showed a police officer her memory of almost getting raped, Mater gave her a lift back home. Harley had to pull her blouse over her chest, the fabric torn open to show her bright yellow bra. Nobody spoke as they drove back to Radiator Springs, and Harley shut herself in her room when Mater dropped her off.

The townsfolk were shocked and enraged. They couldn't believe something so horrible would happen to Harley, but they were thankful she wasn't hurt too badly. Sarge and Sheriff appeared more than willing to lead the charge to crush Brian into little bits, but calmed down a few notches when they heard he had been found guilty at his trial. Mater spent most of his time with Harley, trying to help her get over what happened.

Harley was angry and depressed. She wouldn't talk to the residents and hardly came outside except to get food and then retreat to her room. She would draw the blinds to cast herself in darkness, turning on her radio and blaring the music so loud nobody could speak over it. Nothing the townsfolk, Finn, Holley, or Siddeley did seemed to help.

"If I ever see that boy again, I'll tear him in half." Sarge growled on evening over dinner.

"He won't ever come back here because he knows we'll tear him to pieces." Ramone noted.

"I'll keep my guns ready." Siddeley said, towering over them behind the café.

"Ingrate." Fillmore huffed. "I actually got half a mind to run him over."

"All right, that's enough out of you." Flo scolded.

"Flo's right. Harley's already upset enough as it is." Sally said. "We need to focus on helping her move on."

"What's holding her back?" Lightning asked. "She couldn't have cared that much for this guy."

"He-a wasn't exactly the love of her-a life." Luigi noted.

"He who tries to rape a beautiful young woman like Harley is lower than scum." Lizzie said, looking angrier than she ever had in all her life. "If I had been there, I would've kicked him across the state!"

Sheriff suddenly kicked his empty oil can to one side, driving off. Finn watched him go for a moment before following, leaving the townsfolk to try and figure out the best way to reach out to Harley. Finn waited until they were a good distance away from the townsfolk before picking up speed to drive beside Sheriff.

"Why is it you seem most affected out of everyone else here?" Finn asked. "Is it because Harley is technically your daughter?"

"It's none of your business." Sheriff snapped, glaring straight ahead.

Finn frowned. "It _is_ my business if it involves Harley."

"What do you know about her?" Sheriff growled.

Finn sped up and did a sharp turn so he faced Sheriff, forcing the police car to stop. Finn's glare deepened. "Make no mistake in your judgement of me. I love Harley just like everyone else in this town."

Sheriff kept his glare locked onto Finn's for a long moment. Then he sighed, and he relaxed on his chassis. "The subject of rape is a bit sensitive for me. I apologize if that makes me seem like a grump."

Finn relaxed as well. "Not at all. It can be sensitive for anyone—"

"It's not just the act itself." Sheriff corrected, staring at the ground. "It's…a bit more complicated…personal…"

Finn stared at Sheriff. "Do you…know someone who was raped?"

Sheriff paused, wondering if he really wanted to divulge this information. But he had gotten to know Finn, and he knew the Aston Martin could be trusted. "I can only tell you if you can keep a secret."

Finn's eyes narrowed a little. "All right."

Sheriff took in a breath and let it out slowly. "Harley didn't come from a perfect family, or rather a perfect set of parents. Her father, John, had a criminal record and a pretty bad temper. There's a pretty good chance he wasn't exactly right in the head. Paula…" Sheriff sighed sadly. "Paula. She was so beautiful an' kind. But she had her flaws; she was too self-sacrificin', maybe a bit obsessed with keepin' her husband happy. Fer a long time after they were married, they couldn't conceive a kid." Sheriff let that sink in, watching for Finn's reaction.

The gears were turning at high speeds in Finn's brain. "So….how did they get Harley?"

"Things got tense, I guess." Sheriff said. "John raped Paula, and they got Harley."

Finn's oil chilled in its lines. "What?"

"Doc told me soon after he figured it out." Sheriff explained. "But we knew Paula wouldn't want ta cause trouble. She'd blame herself and defend her no-good, jackwagon husband. Doc and I were the only ones who knew, and Doc took it ta his grave."

Finn was in shock for a minute, and then he became angry. "Does Harley know?"

"Nope. And she never _will_ know." Sheriff said firmly.

"So you're just going to keep deceiving her?" Finn demanded.

"I am goin' to protect her." Sheriff corrected. "There's a lot Harley don't know about her parents. Things she don't need to know." He glared at Finn. "I trusted you with this. Don' you _dare_ tell her."

Finn already regretted asking before. But, even though he disagreed, he could understand Sheriff's and Doc's reasoning for not telling Harley about this. He sighed. "Fine."

Sheriff nodded, driving around Finn to head towards his post. But he paused and looked back to the spy car. "I can see it, ya know. The way ya look at Harley. Ya love her."

"I thought I made that clear." Finn said in a soft voice.

Sheriff grinned. "Ya do, though. Ya love her….jus' like Doc did." He drove off.

Finn's eyes widened and he turned around, but Sheriff already disappeared into the darkness of the desert. The spy car looked to the ground, pondering Sheriff's words. He nodded, making up his mind, and drove hurriedly back to the café.

* * *

"I dunno 'bout this, Finn." Mater said as they approached Harley's room. The walls, thankfully, muffled the blaring music. "Ah mean, she's purty upset."

"Which is why she needs us." Finn reasoned. "Come now, Mater. I'm her Soul Connect partner and you're her, as she says, 'bestest big brother.' Surely there's _something_ we can do."

Mater couldn't deny that. "Awright. But let's be careful."

Finn couldn't deny _that._ An angry Harley tended to be more dangerous than just an irritated or dedicated-to-win Harley. So the two of them simultaneously inhaled and exhaled before Mater opened the door. At once, their eardrums nearly burst at the sound of the loud music. But they put on brave faces and drove into the room. Harley laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling and pounding furiously on air drums to mimic the music erupting from her radio. Mater and Finn shared a look when they realized Harley didn't seem to notice them coming in.

"Harley?" Finn shouted over the music. But the teenager either didn't hear him or ignored him. Finn frowned. "Harley!" Okay, that time he knew she was just ignoring him. Finn's frown deepened and he suddenly shut off the radio.

Harley turned her head to glare furiously at the spy car. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Only if you have a desire to destroy your hearing." Finn retorted.

"Oh, 'death-deaf,' very funny." Harley said with an air of snobbish sarcasm. She pounded her fist against the power button to her radio, and the music came back at full volume. She turned over so her back was to Mater and Finn. Mater tentatively reached over and turned down the volume on the radio so they could talk normally over it.

"C'mon, Sissy." Mater pleaded. "Jus' talk ta us."

"There ain't nothin' to talk about." Harley said bitterly.

"You cannot just keep something like this bottled in." Finn said. "Clearly, this incident has had a negative effect on you."

Harley didn't speak for a moment. "The implication being that some people aren't affected by almost getting raped?"

"'Course not." Mater said. "Uh, right? Finn?"

"What I mean is something about this bothers you." Finn said. "You responded to the situation by fighting back, and that is not always something young women do when men try to assault them in such a way. Though you were startled, you still were able to fight back, call for help, and report to the authorities."

"Your point?" Harley droned.

"My point is I don't think it's the act that affected you so much." Finn said. "So what is bothering you?"

Harley didn't answer. She curled up somewhat, bringing her knees almost to her chest. Mater thought for a moment. "Did ya really like tha' boy?"

Harley groaned, turning to lie on her back. She put her hands to her face, pushing her glasses up to her hairline. She stared at the ceiling. "No. I mean, I had a crush on him and all that, but I wasn't in love with him. That being said, I wouldn't have opposed to the relationship developing into that should it happen."

"If it ain't 'bout the boy, what's this all 'bout?" Mater asked.

"You'll think I'm stupid." Harley protested.

"Ya ain't stupid." Mater said.

"Far from it." Finn agreed. "Just tell us what this is all about."

Harley sighed, sitting up and readjusting her glasses over her eyes. She looked to Finn. "It's about you."

Finn blinked in surprise. "Me?"

"Not that I have a problem with you." Harley corrected, running her fingers through her hair. "But, come on, Finn. You said you wanted to make me your partner. You're training me to be a spy! How can I be a spy if I get blindsided by a stupid boy?"

Finn and Mater took a moment to register what Harley said. "You're upset because you didn't see Brian's betrayal coming?" Finn guessed.

"I'm upset because, even with your training, I couldn't pick up the little trigger warnings that told me Brian was a complete and total jack-of-all-trades pain in the aft." Harley said.

Finn chuckled. "Harley, you attribute spies as superheroes. We're no different from normal people."

"But ya got that fancy spy trainin'." Mater pointed out. "'Course, I also got that trainin' too."

"Exactly." Finn said. "Underneath all that training and gear, spies are nothing more than ordinary people. That means we too can be blindsided by even the simplest of things, including crushes."

"Yer still gunna be a good spy, Harley." Mater assured. "I know that fer sure."

"So does everyone else." Finn added.

Harley stared at her bed. "I just can't believe something like this could happen. Besides, you're totally superhero status. You're the great Finn McMissile."

"And you're the great Harley Hudson." Finn countered.

"Super Harley!" Mater cheered.

"I'm not a master spy." Harley argued.

"Before I was a master spy, I once fell off the roof of my home because I thought I was a ninja." Finn said. Harley couldn't stop her giggles.

"See?" Mater smiled broadly. "Yer gunna be a super spy! Holley said she's gunna teach me ta be a better spy too!"

Harley smiled. "Thanks. Really, this helps."

"Don't worry about what happened." Finn said. "It was terrible, but you can move on. It won't happen again."

"An' if dat boy comes back, we'll teach 'im a lesson." Mater assured.

"Don't worry about that." Finn said. "I've already taken care of the boy."

Mater gave the spy car a strange look. Harley's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Finn, what exactly does that mean?"

Finn grinned. "That's classified, I'm afraid."

Mater and Harley were afraid to ask now.


	29. Just Like Him

**Just Like Him**

At the topmost platform of an oil rig stood an eighteen-year-old psyche human girl, dressed in denim shorts, a black T-shirt, and roller skates. On the main platform far below her stood a rusted tow truck and an Aston Martin, both of them restrained with parking boots on their front tires. Between the girl and the vehicles: several levels of the oil rig and a small army of evil lemon cars and hulking human henchmen.

Harley took a spare shoelace from her pocket and used it to tie back her hair. She readjusted her glasses and stared down at Finn and Mater. The two cars were incarcerated and heavily surrounded. But she had to get them out how she could.

She sighed. "Oh I must be out of my mind."

She jumped.

Harley grabbed a railing to a platform below, slamming her skate wheels into the edge of the platform and crouching to lessen the blow of her landing. Quickly, she pushed up and flipped over the railing, skating away to hide behind some crates before the passing henchmen could notice her. Once they left, Harley skated out and down a ramp to the next level. As she made her way through to the next level below, she was careful to duck behind any shadowed space she found so the passing henchmen wouldn't find her.

But when she finally got to the next level down, she heard a voice shout, "Hey! Over there!" Spinning around, she saw several cars coming right for her. Harley took off, skating to another ramp nearby and leaping up to glide down the railing on her skates. As she jumped off the rail, she kicked a car's windshield to give her the chance to keep going. Three other cars surrounded her, ready to fight. Two of them charged, but Harley jumped up and the cars collided into one another while Harley landed on their hoods. She jumped off, skating away as the third car gave a chase. The car came at a high speed, so fast that he couldn't stop himself when Harley jumped over the railing of the platform. Harley grabbed the railing and swung back around, but the car went right through the railing and tumbled to the bottom floor. Harley landed on her skates, rolling off. A herd of cars followed, but Harley pulled down on a net as she skated by it and a tower of crates toppled over to block the cars' path. A car and a heavy-set human came towards her, but Harley saw a crane hook and cable nearby. She jumped up and ricocheted off the railing, grabbing the hook and swinging down to the next level.

Only two more floors to go.

As Harley landed cat-like on the platform, several human henchmen surrounded her. One of them lunged for her, but Harley took her fist and planted it right in his nose. She didn't exactly have a black belt, but she _did_ have an Army sergeant and a police sheriff in her family who taught her all about combat. A few kicks and punches later, the men lay groaning and moaning on the ground while Harley skated off. She saw yet another lemon car driving towards her, but she grabbed a wrench off a crate and threw it at him. The metal tool bounced off the car's windshield, and his eyes shut as he yelped in pain. Harley crouched down, still skating at quite the high speed, and jumped up. She tuck-and-rolled over the car's roof and continued skating. By then, most of the henchmen had been taken care of save for the ones that surrounded Finn and Mater. By then, they were on the floor right below Harley. Now that these henchmen had seen her fight, she would need at least a somewhat good idea to get her friends out. She looked around, and her eyes fell upon three nets full of crates hanging in the open space in the middle of the rig. Harley followed the line of rope to where it tied off, and she hurried over. She grabbed the rope and swung across it like a monkey, reaching over to where the ropes connected into one pulley system and sliding down to one of the nets. She clung on tightly, staring down at her trapped friends. Then she pulled a small dagger from her belt, and she threw it at the main rope.

 _SNAP!_

The nets suddenly fell, taking Harley with them. She jumped off as soon as she felt it safe, and the nets and their contents crashed down onto the lemon cars that surrounded Finn and Mater. Harley landed on a clear spot right in front of her friends, staying crouched down for a second before standing up straight.

"Yes!" Harley punched the air. "I can't believe that worked! How'd I do, Finn?"

The area around them flickered, and the tiles of the simulator room turned blue as the training scenario faded away. Finn's and Mater's "bonds" disappeared, and they smiled proudly at her.

"Way to go, Sis!" Mater laughed.

"Very well done, Harley." Finn agreed. "Edmund? What do you think?" He, Mater, and Harley looked to the viewing window above them, where Holley waited with a small crew of C.H.R.O.M.E. agents. The head of the agency, Edmund Revor, was a dark gray 2006 Land Rover with hazel eyes. He smiled broadly.

"Not bad at all, Miss Hudson!" Edmund laughed. He still chuckled as Finn, Mater, and Harley made their way up to him and the others. "My Dodge, you're a natural!"

"Thank you, Mr. Rover." Harley said politely. "It's kind of fun."

"Trust me, it's not the first time I've heard that." Edmund chuckled. "Listen, you go get some food and rest and in a couple hours we'll try something else if you're up for it."

"Absolutely!" Harley nodded enthusiastically, to the amusement of the other agents in the room.

After everyone had calmed down from the whole debacle with Emily Largo, Finn approached his supervisor about adding Harley to his team as a permanent member. Edmund could see a solid bond between Harley and Finn, especially when they revealed the Soul Connection. But he wanted to make sure Harley would be ready for spy work. Plus, she was still a bit too young when Finn came to Edmund with the idea. So Finn, Holley, and Siddeley brought Harley to C.H.R.O.M.E. after she turned eighteen to run some tests. Mater came along too for some training and to support Harley. Word quickly spread through the agency about Harley's unique skills, and the agents were impressed with her ability to adapt quickly to situations. While Harley didn't have formal training, she had her experiences living in Radiator Springs with a variety of folk from different backgrounds. Though unorthodox, Harley flourished and passed each test with minimal difficulty: she learned to lie well and even beat a lie detector test, she proved to have a high pain tolerance, and she did a fair job at the shooting range with a pistol. Before going into the simulator, she also had a go at a variety of weapons in C.H.R.O.M.E.'s armory and took a couple of the basic aptitude tests given to British police officers.

"I still can't believe that you can do all this without formal training." One of the agents said during a lunch break.

"Come on, tell us your secret." Another agent teased. "You're a Soviet spy, aren't you?"

"That's classified." Harley smirked, causing the other agents to laugh. Mater, Finn, and Holley parked nearby, watching the scene with amusement dancing in their eyes.

"She's a natural." Holley giggled. "She'll make a great spy."

"You as well, Mater." Finn added. "Though strange, your methods in spy work are admirable."

"Thanks!" Mater smiled broadly. "Uh, I think." Finn and Holley laughed.

"I gotta hand it to you, McMissile." An agent sighed as he passed them. "You always seem to end up with the good partners."

"Whaddya mean?" Mater asked curiously.

The agent paused. "Well, it's natural, really, for young spies to want to work with the top agents. But Turbo was top-notch, and so is Siddeley. Finn here had both of them, and now he has you and Shiftwell and that kid." The agent sighed as he departed. "Lucky."

"Always getting the good partners, hmm?" Holley raised an eye frame to Finn.

The Aston Martin chuckled. "Well, being top agent means you can't work with just anybody." Mater and Holley laughed again. Finn watched the two begin a new topic of conversation, and suddenly he felt a thousand miles away from them. Thoughts and memories of Leland popped up in his psyche, and Finn felt the weight of mourning on his engine. Two years passed since the Jaguar's death, yet thinking about him still caused Finn pain. The Aston Martin feared someone would notice his abrupt silence, and he politely excused himself to go out for air. Parked on a balcony near the dining area, Finn took a few quiet breaths to calm down. What happened in the past was meant to stay in the past, even if it was a painful event that forced Finn to say goodbye to a dear friend. Then again, he didn't really get to say goodbye to Leland. He didn't get a chance to try and save him.

There he goes thinking about it again.

Finn sighed. _I do miss you, my friend. I truly do._

* * *

"McMissile! Agent McMissile!"

Finn jumped at the sound of someone shouting for him, and he turned as a young woman skidded to a halt before him. Finn hadn't met her before, so he assumed she was a recently hired intern. "What is it?"

The woman took a moment to catch her breath. "Your friend, that Hudson girl, she's going to do the obstacle course!"

Finn's eyes widened. "What? Is she mad?"

"Sh-she insisted!" the woman shrugged, clearly shocked like Finn. "Said that she wanted to truly test herself!"

"No. No, she's not ready for that!" Finn sped away, leaving the woman in the dust as he drove hurriedly towards the training arena. The obstacle course was one of the last things a spy did for his/her training, and the elder and higher-level spies used it for practice to keep their skills sharp. To put Harley in there, after only a week's worth of training…..

Finn's engine revved like the roar of a lion as he picked up speed, and in a few minutes he arrived at the arena. Edmund, Holley, and Mater parked next to the course, waiting for the show. Several other agents gathered around the edge of the course and on the platform above, excited to see how Harley would do. Finn screeched to a halt next to Mater.

"Where is she?" Finn asked worriedly.

"About ta go." Mater replied, looking mildly anxious.

"Edmund, she's not ready for something like this!" Finn said. "Why are you letting her do it?"

"I wasn't exactly thrilled, but she wanted to do it!" Edmund said. "She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

"She'll get hurt!" Finn protested.

"We have agents standing by, several of them, to keep an eye on her." Edmund assured.

"No. Where is she? I have to stop her." Finn scanned the area for Harley. Suddenly, the mechanisms of the obstacle course activated, indicating Harley leapt into action.

"Too late." Edmund gulped.

Finn glued his eyes to Harley as she went through the obstacle course. There were five stages, each one more daunting than the last, and there was another obstacle between each stage. If Harley didn't make it through, she'd be seriously injured. Nobody had ever died on the obstacle course…at least not yet.

The first stage: a series of logs floating across a stretch of water. Harley leapt up onto one of the logs and began skating across, perfectly balanced. Her body shook as her skates ran over the bumpy texture of the log, and she almost fell over once. But she jumped to the next log and kept going. It would've been a smooth ride if she didn't have to worry about the vertical logs swinging back and forth in her path. Luckily, she managed to avoid all of them except for one that clipped her skates as she jumped off the final log to solid ground. But when she looked up, she saw a horizontal log on a set of chains swinging right towards her. The way it swung would've hit Harley's legs and she might've fallen back into the water or hit the floor. But she crouched down and jumped, leapfrogging over the log and continuing on.

The second stage: metal molds of humans and vehicles mechanically pulled back and forth across the floor. When Edmund explained the obstacle course, he told Harley that the goal was to get past all the molds as quickly as possible. If you slowed down too much, someone chasing you can catch up, he had said. So Harley did her best to not slow down. This was where playing soccer with the Radiator Springs folks came in handy; not only could Harley weave her way around the fake people with ease, but she could also slide against the hoods of the fake cars without missing a beat. She cleared the field and kept going, but she only narrowly missed the extra car mold that was set to go much faster than the other molds. Had Harley not been able to dodge it, the impact might've sent her flying out of the obstacle course.

"Git-R-Done, Sis!" Mater cheered.

"She's going to do it!" Holley said excitedly.

Finn wasn't too sure, especially with the next stage coming up. But he tried to stay optimistic.

The third stage: a series of swinging blades. Now, these were only made of foam, and—while not exactly realistic—they helped keep a spy on their toes or tires and prepare them for any life-or-death situation. Harley found some slight difficulty in the half-pipe layout of the flooring, but she skated through the blades without any of them hitting her. A couple came close, but she ducked out of the way just in time. Then came to obstacle between this one and the next: two giant foam mallets, which periodically slammed together. While getting caught between them wouldn't exactly hurt, it wouldn't be comfortable either. The mallets came together quickly, but they pulled apart at a slower pace. Harley hoped she could make it past the mallets before they came together, but as she skated closer she realized the foam mallets were at the top of their ascension. The only problem now: Harley had too much momentum to stop in time. She'd have to think quickly.

 _WHAM!_

Everyone winced when the mallets came together and Harley disappeared, seemingly between the foam pieces. Finn stared in shock, praying Harley didn't get hurt too badly. Then, to everyone's surprise, Harley appeared as she slid like a baseball player going home, right from underneath the mallets where she had just enough room to duck down. She jumped to her feet again and continued on.

"She did it!" Holley laughed.

"Whoo-hoo!" Mater cheered.

Finn broke into smiles. "Go, Harley! Go!"

The fourth stage: similar to the simulator, in which Harley would have to battle with a couple evil vehicles and humans. This proved too easy as Harley quickly beat down her opponents and kept going. Two foam molds of cars came at her from either side, but she still had enough energy to jump up and land on their hoods when the molds crashed. Away Harley went.

The fifth and final stage: a maze-like area with car molds operated mechanically by other agents. The goal here was to get through the maze and finish the obstacle course without getting hit by the molds' paintball guns. Harley didn't waste a second and jumped into action. The maze wasn't huge, but she still had to be careful to not run into the fake cars. If the sensors in the molds picked up on her, getting through the maze would become much more difficult. The walls of the maze also had giant holes here and there, strategically placed to make getting through much harder. Harley paused as she hid from a car mold and she noticed a hole the size of her head. She peered out and discovered the large red button at the end of the obstacle course. It was just on the other side. Then Harley heard a beeping, and she realized with a start that one of the car molds found her. She ducked out of the way as paintball pellets went flying, but then she got an idea. Harley skated right towards the fake car, dodging paintball pellets the entire way, and she jumped up. She kicked off the fake car, giving herself the leverage to grab the edge of the maze wall and haul herself over it. She landed a little hard, but scrambled to her feet and practically body-slammed the red button that stopped the obstacle course.

Dead silence, save for the mechanical sounds of the obstacle course powering down.

Harley panted heavily, rising to stand up straight. Her eyes were wild and her muscles shook. "That…..was…." Her lips developed an ear-to-ear smile. _"AWESOME!"_ She whooped and laughed, punching the air. "That was so cool! Absolutely dangerous and insane, but so awesome! Yeah! Can I do that again?" Silence answered her, and she looked around to see every single agent in the area staring at her slack-jawed. She blinked a few times, readjusting her glasses. "What?"

"Dad gum!" Mater laughed, speeding over to nuzzle his sister. "That was flat-out awesome!"

"Harley, that was incredible!" Finn agreed, hurrying over with Holley by his side. The other agents began making their way towards Harley as well.

"Amazing!" Holley breathed. "Unorthodox, per the usual, but absolutely brilliant!"

"I've never seen anything like it!" Edmund said, his expression a mix of shock and amazement.

Harley suddenly felt self-conscious, and she nervously made a motion of tucking hair behind her ear even when all of her hair was still tied back. "Well, I mean, it wasn't _that_ impressive."

"Kid, only the higher-level agents can get through this." Edmund corrected. "Some of them do this in the morning just for a warm-up!"

"He's right." Finn confirmed. He too enjoyed going through the course in his down time.

"What you have is raw, natural talent, kid." Edmund said. "That's absolutely impressive. Hey! Who has her time?" About three different agents shouted "I do!" and they sped over to show Edmund their stopwatches. Edmund did a perfect double take. "See what I mean?"

One of the agents showed his stopwatch to everyone else, and several of the agents went slack-jawed again. Harley's time: one minute, forty-five seconds, dead even.

Harley looked around at everyone's shocked expressions. "So, is that a good time?"

"Is it a good time?" Edmund repeated incredulously. "You beat Agent Turbo's score!"

"Oh." Harley said. "And…that's good?"

"Is it good?" Edmund laughed. "Kid, Agent Turbo did this course better than anyone! The only guy who could beat his score was Finn! And now, you've beaten Turbo's score by a full two seconds!"

"Oh, I see." Harley cast a playful smirk to Finn. "So what do I have to do to beat your score?"

"Don't get your hopes up." Finn chuckled.

"I've said it once, I'll say it again." An agent sighed. "You always get the good partners, McMissile." At once, the other agents came closer to Harley to congratulate her and express their admiration at how she completed the course. Harley's cheeks turned rosy, but she accepted the praise modestly. Holley and Mater looked very proud.

Finn, however, stared at the scene as though he were far away from it. _You always get the good partners._ Suddenly, it appeared that Finn wasn't staring at Harley. Instead, he visualized Leland in the girl's place. There were so many similarities between Harley and Leland, yet also a few differences.

Like their difference in scores?

 _No. No, there has to be more than that._ Finn thought. _It's not like I'm trying to replace Leland. I just wanted to work with Harley because of the bond we have. It's different. Not better, just different. But it's also not worse, I mean…_ Finn suddenly felt like he was trying to defend himself in front of Leland, as though forgetting the spy car was dead. A new fear creeped up in his mind: was he really trying to replace Leland with Harley, even unintentionally?

Finn couldn't take it anymore. He had to get away for a few minutes. So he quietly reversed and drove off, hoping nobody would notice. Unfortunately, Harley did notice her Soul Connect partner driving off, and she stared after him worriedly.

 _Did I do something wrong?_ Harley wondered.

* * *

Edmund decided any more tests Harley needed to take should be more mental than physical, and he gave her the rest of the day and tomorrow off to rest from her training. Harley and Mater spent more time with the spies of C.H.R.O.M.E., amazed by the close-knit bonds of the agents.

But in that time, Harley noticed Finn avoiding everyone else. He constantly isolated himself, appearing to be deep in thought. When he didn't do that, he went off to train. Harley wasn't sure how to approach Finn about it, but she didn't want him to be upset. She had a feeling it had something to do with the obstacle course. But she wanted a third party opinion, and she knew only one other person she could talk to: Siddeley.

The jet currently lounged in his hanger, watching some sort of British cartoon. But he greeted Harley with a warm smile. "Hey there, Harley. I heard you almost destroyed the obstacle course."

"Ha-ha, very funny." Harley giggled. "I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?" She cast a look to the cartoon right before Siddeley turned it off.

"I'm always available for a talk." Siddeley said. Harley found a scissor lift in the corner and used it to lift herself up to Siddeley's eye level, making it easier for both of them to converse. "So what do you want to talk about?" Siddeley asked.

"I just want to know if I'm really doing well in all this spy stuff." Harley said, sitting cross-legged on the scissor lift.

"You haven't picked that up from all the praise you're getting?" Siddeley joked.

Harley laughed. "Well, the praise doesn't mean much unless it comes from Finn. He's the one I'm going to be working with, after all."

"He seems to be proud." Siddeley pointed out.

"I know." Harley nodded aimlessly. "It's just that…."

Siddeley stared at her worriedly. "Just what?"

Harley shrugged. "I dunno. After the obstacle course, he looked really happy for me. Then he slipped away like something was bothering him. I think I might've done something wrong."

"I doubt that." Siddeley said. "You're doing very well for someone so young. Can't even call you a rookie anymore."

"Are you sure?" Harley asked.

"Why are you so worried about this?" Siddeley asked.

"Because Finn asked me to be his partner." Harley said. "He wants me to work with him and you and Holley on real-life missions. I don't want to fail him. I want to be the best spy for Finn. You know, so he doesn't regret asking me to work with him."

"I highly doubt he would ever regret asking you to join our little team." Siddeley said. "And I'm sure you're doing great."

"So why does Finn seem so…sad?" Harley asked.

Siddeley thought for a moment. Why _did_ Finn appear this way, even after expressing his pride in Harley's good work? "I'm not sure. But I'll tell you what: I'll talk to Finn myself and get to the bottom of this. You just worry about your training."

Harley smiled. "Thanks, Siddeley. Really."

* * *

The next day, while Harley did some weaponry practice with Holley and Mater, Siddeley pulled Finn aside to talk over tea. Finn accepted, going with a hot cup of a traditional British blend. Siddeley, on the other wing, decided on a chilled glass of tea Harley gifted to him last Christmas. It was the same peach iced tea that Flo served in her café, and Siddeley found he rather enjoyed it.

But he had a serious matter to discuss right now. "So, Finn, what do you think of Harley's progress?"

"Very exceptional." Finn said. "I've never seen someone advance so quickly."

"She's something else, that's for sure." Siddeley agreed. "But you haven't noticed anything about her during this process?"

Finn raised an eye frame at his friend. "Is she bothered by something and asked you to talk to me?"

 _Dang, he's good at that._ Siddeley sighed. "She's concerned that her training is not going as well as you'd like."

"Rest assured, I am very proud." Finn said.

"You left right after her run through the obstacle course." Siddeley reminded him. "Why? If she's making you so proud, what's bothering you?"

 _Why does he have to be good at that?_ Finn stared at the ground, silent for a long moment. Siddeley waited patiently, but still became surprised at Finn's answer. "She's just like him."

"She's just like who?" Siddeley asked.

"Leland. Harley acts just like him." Finn sighed, pain returning. But he could feel some of the pain dulling as he talked to Siddeley. "The way she performs and works and even the way she talks. It reminds me so much of Leland's work when he was alive. She even beat his time in the obstacle course. I suppose I'm….just afraid that people will think I'm trying to replace Leland with Harley. But I'm not." He sighed again. "That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"You kidding?" Siddeley chuckled. "Even I can't believe how much that kid reminds me of Leland. She's such a little goof, but she takes her job seriously. She's full of life and love. There are so many times when she does the littlest things that make me think of Leland. And every time I do…..well, that's all I can think about. Believe me, it does hurt sometimes. Harley reminds me of all the things I miss about having Leland on the team." Siddeley took in a breath, and it came out shaky. "Dear Dodge, do I miss him."

Finn didn't look to the jet. Siddeley and Leland had something in common in that they didn't always get so somber. To see Siddeley close to tears made Finn want to cry along with him. His tea had since been forgotten. "I miss him too. So much." Finn sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. "I hate thinking about what I saw, about how I was too late to help him. Every time I go back to that memory, I can't stop thinking about how badly I wanted to save him. How I wish I could've taken his place."

Siddeley gave Finn a small glare. "Would Leland have wanted you to do that?"

Finn opened his eyes. "No."

"And you know he wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over his death." Siddeley said. "He would be happy that you found someone to help heal you. You and Harley both lost someone dear: you lost Leland and she lost her father. But isn't it enough that you two can make up for those losses with the bond you share?"

Finn cracked a smile. "When did you get so wise?"

Siddeley chuckled. "Hey, don't get me wrong. It hurts when Harley makes me remember Leland. But I still enjoy it when she makes me remember. If she reminds you of Leland, maybe you ought to just accept it. Be happy about it. Because we really can't just forget about him."

Finn's smile grew. "Well, there are certainly things about Harley that are different from Leland, and I do appreciate everything Harley does for me."

"You mean the several times she's saved your life?" Siddeley smirked.

"She hasn't saved my life that many times." Finn protested.

Siddeley raised an eye frame. "The back alleys in Tokyo?"

"That's only one time." Finn said.

"Big Bentley?"

"All right, twice."

"Almost getting blown up by an armored ship?"

"Thrice."

"The time Largo car-napped you?"

"All right, you've made your point."

"And Harley had to use her Soul Connection with you to pull you from death?"

"You're pushing your luck, Siddeley."

The jet laughed, and Finn rolled his eyes with a grin. Siddeley noticed the grin, and he knew at once he accomplished his mission. _Leland, wherever you are, I wish you could see this. Harley's one special kid._

"Finn! Siddeley!" Edmund called as he approached the pair. "Just the two I wanted to see."

"What do you need?" Finn asked.

"Well, Miss Hudson's training has been going very well." Edmund explained. "I figured the best way to truly test her abilities would be to send her on a real mission. If you're up for it, I'd like to send you two and her on a new mission in Greece. What do you say?"

"Sounds good to me." Siddeley agreed. "Finn?"

Finn thought about it. "I think Harley is ready for it. When do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready." Edmund said. "Hudson is getting suited up in the weapons department. Bring along Shiftwell and Mater."

"I'll get fueled up!" Siddeley announced.

"I'll go find Holley and Mater." Finn offered.

* * *

Holley, Mater, and Finn met Siddeley out on the runway, ready to go. Mater was especially excited to work another mission with his friends.

"What happened ta Harley?" Mater wondered.

"Still getting her gear, I suppose." Holley guessed.

"Well she better hurry up!" Siddeley laughed. "I'm ready to go!"

"Patience, old boy." Finn chuckled.

"Hey guys! Wait up!"

The spies turned at the sound of Harley's voice, and they saw her roll right up and stop in front of them. She had all the gear she would need for the mission, and she also had a slight change in outfit. She kept her short hair loose, but kept a hair band around her wrist in case she needed it. She wore black leggings under her denim shorts, and she still had on her roller skates. She wore a black T-shirt, and she had a belt of spy gear strapped around her hips. To finish off her look, she wore a fashionable blood red jacket.

The jacket was the exact same color as Leland's old paintjob.

If Harley noticed Finn's eyes widening a little, she didn't show. She glanced down at her outfit and shrugged. "How do I look?"

"Awesome!" Mater said. "Like a real spy!"

"Very lovely, Harley." Holley agreed.

Siddeley glanced to Finn, wondering what his reaction would be. But the Aston Martin also smiled broadly. "It's a good color on you, Harley."

"Lookin' good, kid." Siddeley nodded.

"Thanks." Harley blushed a little, readjusting her glasses. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Mater whooped in agreement and drove off to load into Siddeley. Holley laughed as she followed him. Harley skated alongside Finn as they trailed behind. "Is this really a good color on me?"

"Very much so." Finn said truthfully. "Goes beautifully with the blue in your hair."

Harley laughed. She tugged on the cuff of her jacket sleeve. "Hey Finn?"

"Hmm?"

"Will I ever be as good a spy as Leland?"

"Nobody could be a spy like Leland. It's just as well. I don't want you to be like Leland."

"Oh?"

"I want you to be the best spy that _you_ can be. Make a unique name for yourself."

A pause.

"I think I can do that."


	30. Every Breath I Take

**Every Breath I Take**

When Sky moved to Propwash Junction, Skipper and Sparky discussed several things regarding how they would raise her, i.e. how she would get her schooling. The closest school was in Sterling, and Sky clearly expressed how much she _didn't_ want to have to take a taxi every day just to get there. Plus, there wasn't a bus that could take her. Soon, Sparky discovered she could be registered as a Sterling School District student and take classes online. Sky enjoyed this, and Sparky and Skipper helped her keep track of her work and stay on top of her classes. Plus, having her own school schedule meant she could have more free time to be with her friends.

Skipper was firm in that she needed a good education, and he wouldn't let her fall behind, even if that meant she had to do her homework during dinner like she did now.

"It's not that hard, Sky." Sparky shrugged, placing a plate of food in front of the fourteen-year-old girl.

"I know. I mean, it shouldn't be that hard." Sky shrugged, tapping her pencil against her notebook. "The assignment is just a report on an important job in my community. I just don't know who to write about, I guess."

"Any idea what your classmates are doing?" Skipper asked.

"Store folks and farmers, it sounds like." Sky said.

Sparky thought for a moment. "Well, is there anybody in Propwash Junction you would want to talk to?"

"I'm sure as heck not going to ask Leadbottom." Sky said. "You think I could ask Dusty?"

"He's still underage." Skipper reminded her. "You ought to ask someone with more experience. Besides, he and most of the farmers are still in the middle of harvesting the crops." He thought about it. "Say, how about Max and Mayday?"

"Max and Mayday?" Sky repeated.

"Firefighters are important to communities." Sparky reasoned.

Sky nodded, beginning to smile. "Yeah! Yeah, I'll talk to them tomorrow."

* * *

Mayday and Max were more than happy to help with Sky's report. They invited her over to the firehouse to talk, and they discussed everything from how and why they became firefighters to the different types of firefighting. They even showed Sky their methods in putting out fires. By the end of the talk, Sky knew she had plenty of information to write a good report.

"Thanks again for your help." Sky said, tucking her notebook and pen into her backpack.

"It was our pleasure." Mayday assured.

"Happy to help." Max agreed.

Sky smiled warmly as she shouldered her backpack, but she paused on her way out. She stared at the wall of awards and pictures beside her, and she sighed in awe. "It's all just so amazing. Look at this stuff. It's like you're heroes or something."

Mayday chuckled. "Medals and awards don't mean much. They just mean we were lucky. Actions show bravery."

"Does it take that much bravery to fight fires?" Sky asked. "I mean, you just put water on fire. That doesn't sound so hard."

Max laughed, tousling Sky's hair to her mild chagrin. "It ain't as easy as you think."

"Took me a couple months to get my aim right when I was starting out." Mayday admitted.

Sky smoothed out her hair. "Okay, good point. But is that supposed to mean that you get these medals and awards just for having good aim?"

"We got them for being good firefighters." Mayday corrected.

Sky looked back and forth between the two firefighters, clearly confused. Max laughed again. "See, Sky, being a firefighter is more than just tossing wet stuff on hot stuff to prevent property damage and save lives. To be a firefighter requires an immense amount of bravery. You have to be willing to put others' lives before your own. You have to go into a firefight knowing you might walk away with some serious battle scars; or worse, you may not walk away at all."

Sky listened attentively, awed by Max's words. She couldn't imagine him or Mayday going into a firefight and not walk away from it. They were the best firefighters in the world (at least in her opinion). Surely they didn't get these awards for not doing a good job. The teenager shrugged. "I dunno. I've never been put in that position before."

"Really?" Max raised an eyebrow teasingly.

Sky rolled her eyes. "I mean I've never been in a situation where someone else's life rested in my hands. Sounds kinda dramatic….and scary."

Max pulled her into a side-hug. "Well that's what bein' a firefighter's all about. Most of my family was and still is made up of firefighters. It's a tough job, but worth it."

"You got that right." Mayday nodded in agreement.

Sky looked back to the awards on the wall. She didn't really know what to say. _I don't think I really understand, but I know what Mayday and Max do is definitely cool._

* * *

As she had hoped/expected, Sky received a perfect A on her report, along with some very nice compliments from the teacher who graded her essay. Sky was happy, but her talk with Max and Mayday still echoed in her head from time to time. She sometimes sat alone with her guitar and pondered Max's description of firefighting. But for some reason, Sky couldn't realistically imagine Max or Mayday doing anything that qualified as "heroic." Though, if she were honest with herself, she didn't really know the true meaning of a hero. Eventually, she decided to just ignore it. She'd figure it out someday.

Time passed. After a successful harvest came a hearty Thanksgiving, and soon a very snowy Christmas followed. With spring came a variety of flowers, and Sparky decided to take Sky to Washington D.C. for her spring break. When she returned, it was back to her normal routine that now included watching the farmers work on planting and observing the new crops. As the weather became warmer, she started going out flying with Dusty more often. Her fifteenth birthday was a blast.

Now, July had come, and a very hot one at that. The farmers of Propwash had to be extra careful that their crops didn't wither from the heat. Of course, the warmth didn't stop Sparky from suggesting a camping trip out in the forest near town. Sky jumped at the opportunity to do some hiking, and she invited Dusty and Chug to join in the fun. Skipper bid Sparky and Sky farewell, wishing them a safe and fun trip.

"Hey all!" Max greeted. He and Mayday currently cleaned the firehouse when Sky, Dusty, Sparky, and Chug passed them. "You look like you're on a mission."

"We're going camping!" Chug cheered, showing off the camping gear loaded in a trailer he dragged behind him.

"Sounds fun." Mayday said. "Where to?"

"Just out in the forest. Maybe by the river." Sparky said.

"Well have fun." Max said. "But no campfires, all right? Mayday and I just sent out a burn ban notice."

"What's a burn ban?" Sky asked.

"It's a time when things like campfires are temporarily forbidden." Mayday explained. "It's fire season, and this has been an exceptionally dry year. That's a perfect mix for a wildfire, and we can't risk that what with the crops already getting dry."

"Okay." Dusty nodded. "We'll just save the s'mores for when we get back."

"Yeah, from the comfort of my mom's stove." Chug laughed. The group bid the firefighters goodbye and continued on. They soon found the perfect spot and set up camp. Soon after, Sky jumped right into the river to swim. She and Chug splashed each other for a while before Dusty had the great idea to hold Sky on his wing and then fling her into the river, much to Sky's delight.

"You know, if Skipper ever saw you doing that, he'd kill all of us." Sparky noted as Sky pulled herself from the water.

Sky giggled, wringing out her hair as water dripped from her shorts and tank top. "Which is why you're not going to tell him."

Sparky chuckled. "I'd remove myself as a witness, but I need to keep an eye on you all."

Chug noticed something in the sky. "Hey, didn't Max say there was a burn ban?"

"Yeah, why?" Dusty asked.

"Well what's that?" Chug gestured to the treetops, and everyone followed his gaze. They noticed a column of smoke rising from the trees, not too far away from them.

"A wildfire?" Dusty guessed worriedly.

"There'd be more smoke, I think." Sky shrugged. "Come on, let's go check it out."

"Maybe we should call Mayday and Max." Sparky suggested.

"Yeah, I can reach them on my radio." Dusty added.

"If we can handle it ourselves, there'll be no need to bother them." Sky protested. "Come on." She continued walking, leaving her shoes behind, and the boys had no choice but to follow her. Sky grabbed the shovel they had brought, knowing they would have to toss dirt onto the fire since they couldn't drop water. After several minutes, they found themselves at a crudely made campsite that had beer and oil cans strewn about the area. A group of teenagers, humans and a couple cars, laughed and talked around a small bonfire.

"That's a big fire." Dusty noted.

"It's not well contained, either." Sky noted, staring anxiously at the flames. "There's no hole dug into the ground and it's not surrounded by rocks or anything like that. The wind's been on and off all day; one gust and it could blow right into the trees."

"I knew all that survivalist training Skipper put you through would come in handy." Sparky chuckled.

Sky rolled her eyes, but put on a serious face again. "Come on." She led the way as they marched into the campsite. "Hey you!"

The teenagers around the fire paused in their conversation and looked to the approaching group. A couple of the teenagers looked quite drunk.

"Hey look!" one of the cars laughed. "It's the psycho!" His friends laughed along with him.

Sky fumed a little. "Psych- _man_."

"Yeah, whatever." One of the female humans sneered.

Sky sighed, trying to stay calm. "Look, you really aren't supposed to have a fire right now. There's a burn ban."

"It's fine." Another car assured dismissively. "We got it under control."

"I really don't think you do." Sky said. "And there's a burn ban so—"

"Look, why don't you just run along like a good girl?" the first car said. "No need to stick your nose where it don't belong."

Sky growled, clutching the shovel she held tighter. "Put out that fire right now or I'll do it myself!"

"I'll handle this." One of the human boys said, marching over towards Sky. But before he could touch her, Sky took the shovel and smacked the flat of the blade against the boy's nose. The boy fell, clutching his now-bleeding nose, and the other teenagers backed up and away from Sky in fear.

"Sky." Dusty complained. "Was that necessary?"

Sky gave him a look. "Yes."

Before anyone could make another move, a large gust of wind suddenly whipped through the trees. The flames of the campfire blew over to be almost parallel to the ground, and one of the embers hit Sky's shoulder. She yelped in pain, dropping the shovel. Everyone watched as the embers hit one of the trees, and several of the branches immediately caught fire.

"Oh man!" one of the teenagers shouted. "Run!" They took off, abandoning the campsite and Sky, Dusty, Chug, and Sparky.

"Jackwagons!" Sky shouted after them. She picked up the shovel and started tossing dirt onto the campfire. "Dusty, call Mayday! Quick!"

Dusty obeyed, switching to the correct radio station. "Mayday! Come in, Mayday! This is Dusty!"

" _I read you, Dusty!"_ Mayday responded. _"What's the problem?"_

"We found some teenagers who made a fire." Dusty explained hurriedly. "We tried to put it out, but then the wind picked up and now some if it's in the trees. Can you come put it out?"

" _You're not still at that fire, are you?"_ Mayday asked, panic suddenly coming to his tone.

"Well, yeah." Dusty said. "We're trying to put it out—"

" _Get out of there now!"_ Mayday suddenly shouted, making Dusty jump.

"It's okay!" Dusty assured. "The fire's small and—"

" _Dusty, it'll only take a few minutes for a small blaze to become an inferno."_ Mayday explained hurriedly. _"Get away from that fire_ right now! _Max and I are on our way!"_

"Roger that." Dusty nodded. He had never heard such a tone of fear, firmness, and urgency from Mayday. "Sky! We gotta get out of here!"

"I'm almost done!" Sky protested, still tossing dirt onto the campfire.

Dusty looked up to see the fire in the trees spreading much faster than he thought it would. "Sky, forget about it! We gotta go!"

Sky noticed the quickly spreading flames, and she dropped the shovel to join the boys as they made a run for it. The fire stayed right on their heels, and another gust of wind managed to push the flames ahead of them.

Already on the way, Max rode on Mayday's water tank and stared at the column of smoke getting larger and larger in the distance. Max wore his usual jeans, hiking boots, and black and red firefighting jacket. But now, he also wore his firefighting helmet over his gray hair, he had an oxygen tank and mask on his back, and he held a pulaski in one hand.

Max unclipped his radio from his pocket, his dark green eyes full of worry. "I'm calling in air support from Sterling. We have to hurry!"

"I _am_ hurrying!" Mayday snapped, putting on more speed. _Dusty, wherever you and the others are, just be careful._

Dusty, Sky, Sparky, and Chug tried to not be afraid, but that was kind of hard when they had to run through a forest of flaming trees. The fire almost completely engulfed them. If they didn't get out soon, they'd be killed.

A loud creaking sound rang out, and Sparky pulled Sky back just before a flaming tree could crush them both. Now a large hunk of flaming wood separated them from Dusty and Chug.

"Keep going!" Sparky shouted. "We'll find another way out!"

Dusty coughed from the smoke. "We can't just leave you here!"

"Just go!" Sky urged. Dusty and Chug exchanged a look, but regretfully obeyed as they hurried off. Sparky led Sky another way, hopefully out of the flames. Dusty and Chug kept going, and quite suddenly they found themselves in an open, clear area free of burning trees. They had left the tree line, and—thank Chrysler—Mayday and Max had arrived.

"Dusty!" Max shouted, jumping off Mayday and hitting the ground running. "Chug! You two all right?"

"We're fine." Chug coughed. "But Sparky and Sky are still in there!"

Mayday jumped into action. "Chug, Dusty, you two stick around. Dusty, call for James and Martha." James and Martha were an ambulance and a retired doctor who lived in Propwash Junction, and they often came to help when injuries occurred in town. "Max, think you can find them?"

"Way ahead of you." Max assured, already strapping his oxygen mask to his face.

"You're gonna go in there?" Chug asked worriedly.

"It'll be all right, Chug." Max assured, hooking up Mayday's hoses so the fire truck could pump water onto the flames. As Mayday worked, Max hurried forward and right into the wildfire. Dusty and Chug watched worriedly, praying he would make it out with their friends.

Max found Chug's and Dusty's tracks all right, and he followed them back to the flaming tree that separated them from Sparky and Sky. Max didn't hesitate to leap over the log, landing a little painfully on the other side.

 _I'm getting too old for this._ Max mentally groaned. He took in a breath and lifted the oxygen mask off his face. "Sky! Sparky! Where are you?" He put the mask back on, listening through the crackling flames for an answer. When he heard none, Max growled in frustration and went back to following the tracks. This only proved helpful for about a few minutes before the tracks disappeared from the ash and flames, and Max continued to look around and call for Sparky and Sky.

The next couple minutes that passed felt like centuries, but when Max heard coughing, he froze in his tracks. He listened carefully, following the sound, and when he saw a familiar raven-haired girl he broke into a sprint. He almost collapsed to his knees beside Sky's body, pulling the girl into his lap. Sky looked worse for wear: minor burns on her shoulder, ash smeared across several places on her skin, and she coughed constantly.

"Sky?" Max had to raise his voice to be heard through his oxygen mask. "Sky, you all right?"

Sky finally opened her eyes, but she kept coughing and wheezing. "M-Max…."

"Easy, kiddo." Max said soothingly. "Where's Sparky?"

"I d-don't know…" Sky coughed. "Got s-separated….." She wheezed some more. "I c-c-can't b-breathe….." She broke down into a fit of coughing. Max quickly unclipped his helmet and pulled his oxygen mask off his face. He put the mask over Sky's face, strapping it firmly to her skull.

"Just hang on." Max said, putting his helmet back on. He draped the oxygen mask hose over his shoulder and scooped up Sky bridal style, running off. He put an ear to Sky's chest and neck, nodding in satisfaction to hear her breathing a little more normally. Sky whimpered, her fingers curling around Max's jacket. Max gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Just hang on, Sky. I'm going to get you and Sparky out of here. I promise."

Sky couldn't answer. The sudden rush of oxygen to her brain made her dizzy as the smoke inhalation lingered. But she continued to stare at Max, as the sight allowed her to comfortably relax. Then, her vision began to fail her and everything became blurry. Soon, it all went dark, and Sky slipped away into unconsciousness.

* * *

"She's been asleep for so long."

"Doctor said that's to be expected. But she'll be all right."

"You can't blame me for worrying."

"Of course not. I'm worried too. But you know how strong she is."

A soft moan.

"Hey, she's waking up!"

Sky blinked her eyes open, and she found herself back at home in her own bed. Sparky stood next to her bed, and Skipper was close by. They both looked worried, but also very relieved that she finally woke up. Moonlight spilled into the room.

"Dad? Sparky?" Sky rubbed her eyes. Her skin smelled like smoke. "When did I get roasted?"

Sparky chuckled. "Earlier today."

"We were really worried about you." Skipper said. "I heard about the fire and I even saw the smoke from here."

"You should've seen him when I finally brought you home." Sparky chuckled tiredly. "Thought he was going to collapse."

Sky's mouth twitched into a sideways grin. But she noticed Sparky's paint on one side warped and blackened. "Sparky, you're hurt."

"Nah, it's okay." Sparky assured. "You're the one who passed out from smoke inhalation."

Sky inhaled and exhaled a few times, inspecting the red marks on her skin where she was burned. She couldn't remember a lot about her experience in the fire. She felt the pain from getting burned, and the way her lungs felt like fire with every inhale and exhale. It just hurt. It was so scary and painful. If Max hadn't been there…

"Max! And Mayday!" Sky gasped. "Did they take care of the fire?"

Sparky and Skipper shared a look. Skipper cleared his throat. "Yes, they did. Had to call in air support from Sterling's fire department, but they got it out."

Sky sighed in relief. "Good."

"But there is something you should know." Sparky said. "So just listen to me for a few minutes, okay?"

Sky didn't like where this was going. Had Dusty or Chug been injured in the flames? Was the damage more severe than they thought? Did something happen to her? But she only nodded. "Okay."

Sparky took in a breath and let it out slowly. "Did you know that Max had asthma?"

Sky blinked in surprise. "Max doesn't have asthma. Who in their right mind would become a firefighter if they have asthma?"

"I said listen." Sparky reminded her, and Sky shut her mouth. "It may not sound logical, per say, but it's true. Max has had asthma since he was a teenager. But he kept it hidden from a lot of people so they wouldn't worry about him. While we were in that fire, I noticed he had given you his oxygen mask. I was worried, both for you and for him, but he insisted that he was fine. We couldn't escape the fire, however, so Max led us towards the river. He told me we had to stay on the beach until the fire burned over. Wouldn't let me argue about it, so I did what he said." Sparky took in a shaky breath. "The firefighters from Sterling soon came, and they helped to clear a path for us to get back to Mayday. Max carried you the entire way there. When we finally got to Mayday, he passed you off to the paramedics. Then he…he…" Tears built up in Sparky's eyes, and he choked on them.

Sky felt her blood run cold. "Sparky? Where's Max?"

Skipper cleared his throat. "He had to get rushed to the hospital, sweetheart. He's gonna be there for a while."

"Oh." Sky stared at her bed. "But…..he'll be okay, right?"

"We'll see." Skipper said. "But the doctors are remaining hopeful. He's stable for now."

Sky nodded, trying to stomp out her fear. "Okay. He'll be fine, I'm sure. I mean, he's a firefighter. He's pretty tough."

"That's the attitude we're looking for." Skipper said. "Just keep it up."

Sky nodded, a smile forming on her lips. "Can we go see Max tomorrow?"

Skipper thought for a moment. "I don't see why not."

"Yeah." Sparky agreed. "He'll be happy to see you."

Sky's smile grew. "I'll be happy to see him too."

* * *

Sky had only read about medical conditions like going into shock. But after what Skipper just told her, that's exactly how she felt. Everything was numb inside her, and she didn't really know what she was supposed to do. Then, she took off running, ignoring the fact that she was still in her tank top and shorts and barefoot. Sparky tried to stop her, but Skipper dipped a wing and halted Sparky in his tracks.

"Let her go." Skipper ordered in a soft tone. Sparky sighed in resignation, the two of them staring after Sky sadly.

Sky couldn't register the cool night air nor the pain of her bare soles hitting the asphalt as she ran. She just couldn't understand it. He was in the hospital for a week straight. She talked to him a few days ago and they had a wonderful conversation. He seemed so healthy except for his coughing. How did this happen if he seemed to be getting better?

It took only a few minutes for her to reach the firehouse, and she pulled open the front door and darted inside.

"Mayday!" Sky shouted, running into the garage area. "Mayday!" She discovered Mayday with his bumper to her, the fire truck staring at the wall of awards in the garage. Sky panted heavily. "Mayday? Is it true?"

"Come on in, Skylar." Mayday said, his voice sounding almost congested. He gave a small sniffle, confirming Sky's guess that he had been crying about what just happened. Sky stood frozen at the doorway, unable to move. "Well come on." Mayday encouraged, still not turning to her.

Sky finally found the will to move, and she stepped around Mayday. She followed his gaze to stare at the awards and pictures before them. Some of them awarded Max the honor of valiant actions and heroic deeds. Others were just pictures of Max around the firehouse or on the job. Sky focused on one particular picture of a younger Mayday and Max standing in front of the firehouse. It was Max's first day in Propwash Junction Firehouse, according to Mayday. Max had a warm, grandfatherly grin that usually made Sky want to smile too. But now, it just hurt her.

What was this feeling? Why did she feel like she choked on an invisible noose? Tears forced out of her eyes like turning on a faucet, and she couldn't stop them even if she tried. Sky used to feel this way when she thought about how her parents abandoned her. But she hadn't thought about that in so long. Had she really cared for Max so much that his death would cause this reaction?

Yes, yes she had.

"You and Max are heroes." She told Mayday, her voice soft and trembling. "And I…..I think I'm starting to understand what it means to be a firefighter."

Mayday look to the girl. He scooted over and nuzzled Sky comfortingly. She gasped as her tears flowed, and Mayday shushed her gently. Sky leaned into his touch, trying to control her breathing.

 _Why did I have to breathe at the cost of you suffocating?_

* * *

"Do I really have to wear this stupid thing?" Sky complained, her voice muffled by a small oxygen mask over her mouth and nose.

"Yes, now keep it on there." Maru snapped, strapping another mask around Pinecone's mouth. In fact, all the Smokejumpers sported oxygen masks as they lounged in Maru's shop.

"You really should count your blessings." Blade said, watching from his vantage point at the opening of the garage.

"Yeah, sometimes we come back with smoke inhalation _and_ burns." Dynamite pointed out. "It's just part of the job."

Sky rolled her eyes, but didn't dare remove the mask from her face lest Maru duct tape it to her head. She focused more on her breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. As she did, she thought back to that fire years ago that killed Max. Every time Sky had to wear an oxygen mask like she did now, she ended up thinking about how Max selflessly gave her his own mask so she wouldn't suffocate from the smoke. Even when he knew he would die from the smoke inhalation and his asthma, he sacrificed his access to life-giving air so Sky could have it instead. Sky had long since accepted Max's death and heroic actions. If anything, now she felt honored that Max was willing to give up his own ability to breathe so that she could survive that fire.

"What's that, Raven?" Maru asked, having heard Sky whisper something under her breath.

Sky shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking."

 _I hope you are watching, Max. Every breath I take, you gave me._


	31. Awakened

**Awakened**

Birthdays weren't a huge deal to the folks of Radiator Springs; but whenever one of the residents' birthday came around, everyone else made an effort to celebrate in some way. When Harley was born, the celebrations became much livelier. Her fourth birthday, for example, involved a lot of games with the residents and a good-sized cake from Flo. It was a day of laughter and fun for Harley and her family, and the little girl never knew her birthdays were also a time of anxiousness for the Radiator Springs residents. For with every birthday that passed for Harley, her father became reinvigorated in his attempts to convince Paula they needed to leave town and move somewhere "better." His last excuse was that, with the death of Paula's parents, Harley had too much exposure to her vehicular neighbors. John tried to tell Paula this might confuse Harley as she grew older, but Paula reminded him that Harley still had her entirely human parents to raise her. John often brought back an older argument: that the desert environment of Ornament Valley wasn't safe for Harley. Again, this was stomped out by Paula every time.

With Harley turning four, John found a new argumentative point: where she would go to school.

Paula's response to this almost made John drop the plate he was washing from shock.

"Homeschool?" John repeated. "You want to homeschool our daughter?"

"I see no reason why not." Paula shrugged, reading a book while she ate her dinner.

"Where are we going to get the materials?" John argued.

"Online." Paula replied. "Doc has a good-working computer. I can find what we need and I'll email a school district nearby."

"Wouldn't it be easier to send her to an actual school?" John protested. "What if she ends up not learning everything she needs to know?"

"She's already taking Italian language lessons from Luigi and Guido." Paula reminded him. "Honestly, she's such a bright kid. Adding on some homeschooling lessons won't be a problem."

"I still say she should be in an actual classroom." John said.

"John, she _belongs_ here, just like the rest of us." Paula said firmly. "And the nearest school is too far away. I really don't want to trouble her with moving, and it'll break her heart if she has to leave everyone behind."

Thankfully, John was starting to pick up on the fact that Paula couldn't be swayed so easily, and he began lightening up. It would take solid, undeniable evidence to prove to her that moving away would be best for all of them. If Paula was anything, she was protective of her child. All John had to do now was figure out how to show Paula that Radiator Springs was a dangerous place for Harley. Tractor stampedes were too common, and other wild animals didn't exactly come close enough to town to be seen as a threat. Besides, whenever Harley and Paula went hiking or camping, they always had someone like Sheriff, Sarge, or Doc with them for protection's sake.

 _This calls for drastic measures._ John decided one night, silently rising from bed and sneaking down to the kitchen. He grabbed the phone and dialed a number he knew by heart, waiting for the answer.

" _Hello?"_

"Hey, it's me, John."

" _Well, well, well. Haven't heard from you in a while."_

"Yeah. It's been a long time."

" _Last I heard, you got hitched and got busy."_

"You could say that."

A pause.

" _All right, I'm guessing you didn't call at this hour just to talk. What's up?"_

"I need you to do something for me."

" _You're asking for a favor?"_

"I'm calling in a solid. You owe me."

" _Fair enough. What do you need?"_

"Call in a couple of your boys. I have a job for you."

* * *

"Mama, can I go see Sheriff?" Harley asked. She and several of the other residents rested at Flo's café, chatting about the day's events (or lack thereof).

"Whatever for?" Paula asked.

"He said he was gonna show me where he did his…uh….." Harley tried to remember the word Sheriff used. "Stakeout! Yeah! Where he's a speed mousetrap."

A couple of the residents near her chuckled at Harley's description of Sheriff's post in his speed trap. Paula tousled the girl's hair. "I'm afraid not, Harley. It's much too dark out and it's almost your bedtime."

"But Sheriff said he'd show me where he works." Harley protested, pouting.

"How about this? Tomorrow, you can spend the entire day with him and learn how he does his job." Paula offered.

Harley still pouted, but said, "Okay."

About half an hour later, Paula took Harley home, dressed her in her pajamas, and tucked the girl into bed. She cracked open the window to let in the fresh air. It had been awfully hot today, and she didn't want Harley to overheat in the middle of the night. Paula kissed her daughter's head before she left, bidding Harley goodnight.

Harley cuddled with one of her dolls, ready to sleep. But, a couple hours later, she woke up and suddenly thought of something. It was still warm out; so warm she had to kick off her covers so she didn't get too hot in her long-sleeved pajamas. The warmth made her remember what Sarge taught her the last time they went hiking.

'It's important that you hydrate, especially in hot weather.' He had said. 'Drink plenty of water, or you might get dehydrated and could collapse.'

Now, Harley didn't exactly understand all of that, but she got the gist of it: drinking water was important for hot weather. It had been awfully hot today, and if it was still warm tonight, she wondered if Sheriff had enough water at his post.

 _I'll go bring some to him!_ Harley crawled out of bed and put her doll on her pillow, quietly opening her bedroom door and tiptoeing downstairs to the kitchen. She knew her parents wouldn't want her to walk around at night, but she had to make sure Sheriff was taken care of. He would've done the same for her, after all. So Harley grabbed her kiddie water bottle from the fridge, taking a sip from the straw to make sure it was cold, and pulled on her hiking boots before slipping out the door. She marched off down the road, unafraid by the darkness. The streetlights guided her, and she walked right down the main road and out of town. Sheriff had shown Harley his post once—when they had passed by it on their way home from camping—and she remembered that all she had to do was follow the main road. Leaving the streetlights and Radiator Springs behind, Harley let the moon light her path.

"I'm a-comin', Sheriff." Harley said in a sing-song voice.

* * *

Even when Radiator Springs had regular business, Sheriff sometimes slept on the job. Anyone who didn't know him would assume him a terrible police office, much less a sheriff. But the residents of Radiator Springs knew that Sheriff could jump into action at a moment's notice, and they never feared he would lose his touch. After the construction of the Interstate, Sheriff continued to go to his post out of habit. Besides, should someone come tearing through town, he'd have to be there to make sure nobody got hurt. Still, it took quite a bit of effort to not doze off, and his eyelids kept trying to flutter shut.

"Oh yeah." He murmured to himself, half-sleepily. "I told Harley I was gunna take her out here." He chuckled. "Memory ain't what it used to be." He paused, listening carefully. Maybe his memory was failing, but his hearing sure wasn't. He could hear engines running, two of them to be exact. Sheriff crouched down behind the sign, waiting. These engines didn't rev so furiously, so the cars weren't driving at a high speed, but Sheriff couldn't see any headlights. That meant these could be cars that didn't want their presence announced. Sheriff inched his way out from around the sign, wondering who could be coming. Something in his gut told him that these cars shouldn't be let any closer into town.

He exhaled and drove around the side into the road, turning on his headlights. "Hey! Somebody down there?"

Two figures emerged in the light of Sheriff's headlights: a navy blue truck and a black muscle car. Two human men jumped from the tailgate of the truck. Sheriff didn't like the look of them already.

The truck looked to the sign. "Radiator Springs just ahead, huh? You the sheriff?"

"Somethin' you need?" Sheriff asked in a rather demanding tone.

Suddenly, the muscle car shot forward, barely giving Sheriff enough time to duck out of the way. The muscle car clipped Sheriff's headlight, smashing it and causing the light to go out. The truck and humans soon joined in the fray, and Sheriff desperately tried to fight back. One of the human men had a baseball bat, which he proceeded to use to smash Sheriff's other headlight. The moonlight didn't offer a lot of help, but at least Sheriff could still see his attackers. The truck rammed into one of his back fenders and sent him in a spin, but Sheriff shot forward before the truck could do it again. Both of the human men had metal baseball bats, swinging them towards the police car. Sheriff felt one of them hit his roof, but he ignored the pain and spun around to knock the men aside. He ended up locking grills with the truck, their tires kicking back dirt while neither one of them gained ground. The muscle car took advantage of this and slammed into Sheriff's side, denting his side in. Sheriff winced in pain, but then reversed and forced the two cars to hit each other. For good measure, Sheriff gunned forward and slammed into the cars to force them back a few feet.

"You're pretty good for an old man." The muscle car sneered.

Sheriff only glared in response, revving his engine. The muscle car kicked up dirt as he shot forward, but Sheriff reversed out of the way. But as he did that, the truck came forward and rammed into his side. The muscle car came back quickly and rammed him from the other side. The impact and pressure caused Sheriff's sides to dent in, and he thrashed fiercely to break free. His axles started feeling sore, and he knew another hit like that would surely break them. He glared at his attackers, not willing to give up. The two cars revved their engines and the human men leveled their bats in their hands.

"Sheriff?"

All of them froze, and Sheriff's eyes widened in horror. They all whipped towards the source of the voice: little Harley, who stood there staring at the scene in shock.

Sheriff rammed into the truck while he was distracted. "Harley! Run!" Harley was confused, but she didn't dare disobey Sheriff. She turned and ran down the road. But the human men started to chase her. Sheriff's oil boiled. "No! Leave 'er alone!" But before he could go after the men, the muscle car slammed into him and pinned the police car against the Radiator Springs sign. The blow broke Sheriff's back axle and lifted the police car just enough for his tires to not have the traction to grip the dirt. One of the men grabbed Harley, who did what any four-year-old would do: kick and scream until the man could get a proper grip on her and cover her mouth. Sheriff desperately tried to get to her, but the muscle car had him completely pinned and he just didn't have the proper leverage to break free.

"What are we supposed to do now?" the man holding Harley demanded.

"We can't let her get back to town." The second man said. "She'll rat on us."

"What do you suggest?" the first man snapped. "That we kill her?"

"I'm not killing a kid, man." The muscle car snapped. "I don't need that blood on my tires."

"All of you shut up!" the truck snapped. "We can't kill her. She's John's little brat." Had Sheriff not been so worried about Harley, he would've been much more shocked to find out these men knew John. The truck stared at Harley for a minute before shifting his gaze to Sheriff. He hummed in thought. "Put her down."

The man holding Harley stared. "What?"

"Put. Her. Down." The truck repeated.

The man did as he was told, dropping Harley to the dirt. The four-year-old stood and glared at him. Then, she give him a mighty kick to the shin. The man shouted in pain, holding his throbbing shin while hopping on his good leg.

"You're mean!" Harley snapped, stomping her foot.

Sheriff cracked a smirk. _That's our girl._

"Listen you little brat—" the truck started towards Harley, but the little girl suddenly picked up a rock and threw it at him. He ducked. Harley ran forward to hit him, but the truck tripped her and sent the little girl face-planting into the dirt. Before she could get up, the truck came around and pressed his tire against her back to pin her down.

"Don't touch her!" Sheriff shouted, resuming his efforts to break free from the muscle car.

The truck chuckled darkly. "What's the matter, old man? You care about this kid? You gonna kill us if we hurt her?" He pressed his tire harder against Harley, making her yelp in pain. The murderous glare in Sheriff's eyes was enough of an answer for the truck. The truck glanced down to Harley as she thrashed and struggled fiercely under his tire. "Then I'll make a deal with you: give up and stop fighting, and we'll let her go unharmed."

"Why should I trust you?" Sheriff growled.

"Hey, I'm not going to kill her." The truck said. "I wouldn't be caught dead killing a kid. But I'm not afraid to have a little fun with her. You could refuse my kind offer, but that means you'll watch her suffer before we kill you. Or you can accept my offer; and after she's done watching us smash you to bits, we'll let her go." Sheriff narrowed his eyes, and the truck pressed harder against Harley. The girl whimpered in pain, gasping for breath.

"No! Stop!" Sheriff pleaded.

The truck released the pressure, but kept Harley pinned. "Do we have a deal?"

"I'll do whatever ya want. Jus' leave her alone." Sheriff growled, both from pain and frustration.

"Good." The truck nodded. He looked to the human men. "You two hold onto her."

"Wait!" Sheriff suddenly said, grunting in pain when the muscle car pressed harder against him. "Let me talk ta her."

The truck raised an eye frame, but nodded. "Fine." He lifted his tire, letting Harley stand up. The girl kicked his tire before marching over to Sheriff. The muscle car backed off, letting Sheriff down. Now Sheriff knew for sure that one of his axles were broken, and he'd never be able to outrun these men to get Harley home safely.

"Sheriff?" Harley whispered, coming up and putting her hand on Sheriff's fender. "Sheriff, what's gonna happen ta us?"

Sheriff looked to Harley, and the terror and confusion in her eyes hurt much worse than his physical injuries. "It's gunna be okay, darlin'. But I need ya to do somethin' for me."

"Okay." Harley nodded.

"I want you ta close yer eyes. Don't open them fer any reason." Sheriff instructed. "In fact, go to sleep. Everythin' will be better in the mornin'. Okay?"

Harley nodded again. "Okay."

There was a lot more Sheriff wanted to say. These could be the last words he ever spoke to her. But above all else, he didn't want her to be afraid. So he just gave her a small nuzzle. One of the human men came forward and grabbed Harley, pulling her back and away from Sheriff. The muscle car didn't waste a second in resuming the assault, and Sheriff gritted his teeth in pain. But even when the muscle car and the truck rammed into him time and time again, even when the second human man kept whacking him with a baseball bat, Sheriff refused to let any cry or shout of pain escape his throat. He couldn't scare Harley any more than she already felt. The assault lasted for only a few minutes, but every blow sent excruciating pain throughout Sheriff's entire frame.

He forced his eyes open and found his windshield broken, but that's not what horrified him the most. Harley had opened her eyes, either from fear or curiosity, and she had a horrified look on her face that no four-year-old should ever wear. Before Sheriff could do anything else, the truck rammed into him one final time to knock him out.

"All right, that's enough." The truck ordered.

"I can still hear him breathing." The muscle car protested. "John said we couldn't leave him alive."

"He won't last the night." The truck assured. "We held up our end of the bargain. Now let's get out of here." He drove up to the human men so they could jump into his flatbed, and the muscle car followed him as they disappeared down the road, leaving Harley with Sheriff.

Harley couldn't fully comprehend what just happened. She knew Sheriff told her not to open her eyes; but when she heard all those loud noises, she knew something was wrong. Now, Sheriff lay in a heap before her, almost unrecognizable with his dents, scratched paint, and oil dripping from his mouth and undercarriage. He was sitting way too still to be sleeping.

"Sheriff?" Harley asked as she approached the police car. She touched his fender and gave him a nudge. "Sheriff? Wake up." Sheriff didn't stir. He was very, very still, like the creature Harley found once that her mother described as "a dead bat." Tears bubbled up in Harley's eyes and dripped from her cheeks. "Come on, Sheriff." She demanded, giving him a little push. "I wanna go home. I wanna go home right now." She gave him another little push, hugging his now rough and uneven fender. "I wanna go home. Take me home, please." She kept on crying, her body trembling. "Don't go, Sheriff. Please don't go."

A minute later, Sheriff suddenly coughed, making Harley jump. His eyes half-opened slowly, and he looked to Harley. "H-hey, darlin'."

Harley smiled broadly. "You're okay!"

Sheriff knew his condition was far from the truth. But he cracked a smile. "Yeah. I'm okay, kiddo."

Harley stared at him. "You're voice sounds funny." She said innocently. She looked around and found her water bottle, picking it up and holding it out for Sheriff. "I brought ya some water. Have some."

"Uh, I don't…" Sheriff wanted to refuse. Consuming anything right now made him want to throw up. But the concern in Harley's eyes stomped out that idea. "Sure, darlin'." Harley stepped up and poured some of the water into Sheriff's mouth. He forced himself to swallow, but a few seconds later he discretely coughed up more oil. But Harley was calm again. "C'mon, kiddo. Come up here." Sheriff weakly held out a tire, helping Harley climb up to his hood.

"It's kinda bumpy up here." Harley noted. "Ramone or Doc can fix ya."

"Yeah. You bet." Sheriff agreed. "Listen, you ought ta git some sleep. It's past yer bedtime."

"Do I hafta?" Harley whined a little.

"Yes, ya hafta." Sheriff coughed softly. "You jus' lay down and sleep. When ya wake up, you'll be back at home. Okay?"

Harley sighed. "Okie dokie." She curled up on Sheriff's hood, closing her eyes to try and sleep.

Sheriff knew Harley was going to be heartbroken tomorrow, but he had to at least get her home to lighten the blow. She didn't need to see him dead. She didn't deserve that. He tried to move, but moving on broken axles isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world. The prickly, stinging pain that shot through his frame almost made him black out again. But he tried again. More pain, and this time Sheriff's vision became blurry. He blinked a few times to clear it up again, and he realized sorrowfully that he would never make it back to town. Sheriff heard a sniffle, and he saw Harley crying again.

Sheriff shushed her. "Easy, darlin'. It's okay."

Harley didn't answer, rubbing Sheriff's hood with one hand. She seemed to sense his immense pain and his dwindling strength. "Make it better." She muttered, sounding like she didn't even register what she was saying. "Make it better. Make it better. Make it better." She continued to mutter this, almost unconsciously, and Sheriff's heart broke.

"Harley—"

Something caught Sheriff's eye, and he noticed a white light coming from Harley's hand. Suddenly, he felt a pull in his engine that he assumed was Death coming to claim him. But instead, he felt some of his dents popping back into place and his pain began leaving him. His windshield completely repaired itself, and he didn't cough up oil anymore. The oil spilling from his undercarriage slowed to a non-lethal dripping. Then, the light from Harley's hand disappeared, and she fell limp as she passed out. Though Sheriff still felt plenty of pain, he didn't feel like he was dying anymore. He stared at Harley, feeling a mix of shock, amazement, and confusion. But he knew he'd still need Doc's help, and no doubt Harley would need medical attention as well, and he tried to hurry to town. But he yelped quietly in pain when his still-broken axles refused to work for him.

"Dodge Ram it. You've gotta be kidding me." Sheriff growled. He froze when he heard tires on the road and an engine revving. Fear crept into him. Had those monsters come back to finish the job? But this engine was coming from the direction of town. Sheriff stared down the road as a set of headlights came closer and closer to him.

A familiar firetruck appeared.

"Red?" Sheriff gasped. "What're you doin' here? Actually, never mind. I need yer help. Harley an' I need ta see Doc ASAP."

Red nodded, driving around behind Sheriff and gently yet quickly pushing him down the road and towards town. Red had a feeling something was wrong when he woke up in the middle of the night, but this certainly wasn't what he expected. He was glad he followed his gut instinct, because he found tracks in the dirt when he did a quick round about town. Recognizing them as Harley's, he quickly drove down the road in hopes of finding her. Red didn't have a clue what happened to Sheriff and Harley, but he knew he had to get them home soon.

They finally arrived in town and Red pushed Sheriff towards Doc's clinic. Then the firetruck hurried to the door of Doc's home and banged on the wood. A few anxious moments later, a very tired and irritable Doc opened the door.

"Red?" Doc yawned. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" He noticed Red feverishly motioning to one side, and he drove out a little more. His eyes widened. "Holy Chrysler!" He sped over to Sheriff and Harley, herding them into the clinic.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, Doc!" Sheriff snapped as Doc practically shoved him over to the lift. "Harley needs help." Doc looked to the girl, and he gently took her from Sheriff and put her on a cot in the corner. Sheriff stared at her worriedly. "Is she all right?"

"She's just unconscious." Doc said. "She's gonna sleep well tonight." He drove back towards Sheriff. "You, on the other tire, look worse for wear."

"I'm hellishly sore, but I'll live." Sheriff said gruffly.

"You don't know that." Doc snapped. "Red, can you keep an eye on Harley from where you are?"

Red nodded from his spot at the door.

"Doc, I need to tell ya somethin'." Sheriff said.

"Tell me later." Doc ordered, getting his tools out quickly.

"Doc."

"Would you just hold still? Even I don't know how much damage you got."

"No, Doc. Look, I almost died—"

"Which means you might not be out of the woods yet!"

"Would you shut up and listen to me?!"

" _SSSSHHHHH!"_

Doc and Sheriff jumped, and they looked to Red. The firetruck frowned at them and gestured to Harley, still fast asleep on the cot. Doc sighed, and he started working on at least an inventory of Sheriff's injuries. "All right. You wanted to tell me somethin'? What is it?"

Sheriff kept his voice down so Harley could rest. "I was attacked at my post, and next thing I know, Harley's there. The punks beat me close to death and left her behind as a witness, I guess."

"Don't be so dramatic." Doc muttered.

"Doc, I ain't jokin'." Sheriff's voice was deadly serious. "I was almost dead. I could feel it."

The tone Sheriff had in his voice made Doc tense. "So why aren't you dead?"

"That's what I wanted ta tell ya." Sheriff said. "Harley saved me."

"Sheriff, you can't expect a four-year-old—"

"I'm serious, Doc. I dunno how, but Harley was able ta heal me. She saved my life."

Doc paused in his work, staring at Sheriff. He looked to Harley; or, more specifically, he looked to her ankle. "She's awakened."

"What?" Sheriff asked.

"Harley's psyche human powers." Doc mused. "They must've awoken sooner than we thought."

"But she's jus' a kid." Sheriff protested. "An' psych-man healing affects the healer. You said she was fine."

"She is." Doc confirmed, grabbing a tool to start working on Sheriff's dents. "If anything, she's just really tired."

"But then how could she have done this?" Sheriff asked.

Doc sighed. "I don't know, Sheriff. I really don't know. It doesn't make any sense. But let's not look a gift horse in the mouth." He jumped a bit as he pulled one of the dents into place, but Harley still slept soundly. "Any idea who did this to ya?"

Sheriff glared hard. "John."

Doc paused in his work again. "What?"

"Those punks who attacked me. John sent them." Sheriff said. "I heard them talking about it. That's why they didn't hurt Harley."

"That…that can't….." Doc sighed. "He would really stoop that low."

"What'd you expect?" Sheriff practically snarled. "That he'd give up after all these years of trying to convince Paula they needed to leave? That he'd suddenly be a better man overnight? That he'd just _stop_?"

Doc glared at the ground, exhaling softly. "No. Of course not. People like him don't just _stop_ hurting others." Doc suddenly moved to Harley's cot, gently pushing the cot out the door. He instructed Red to watch over her before he returned to Sheriff so he could keep working without the fear of waking Harley.

Sheriff sighed heavily, wincing a bit as Doc worked on the dents. "I hate him, Doc. I never thought I'd say somethin' like that, but I hate him. Our lives were better off without him. He never shoulda come here."

"I agree." Doc admitted. "But would Paula agree?"

"Paula still blames herself for what that monster did to her!" Sheriff hissed.

"Exactly." Doc said.

Sheriff knew nothing more could be said. No matter how much he wished it, John had come to Radiator Springs and he wasn't going to leave anytime soon. Though he made life a little bit harder for everyone, he was still their problem now.

* * *

The next morning, Doc practically ordered Sheriff to stay in the clinic so he could rest. That, and he didn't want anyone freaking out over the police car's current state. Guido took Harley home, slipping into the house and placing her on the couch. He left before Paula and John could wake up. About an hour later, Harley, Paula, and John joined everyone for breakfast at Flo's.

But as they sat down to eat, the residents noticed Harley was clearly upset about something. "You okay, sweetheart?" Flo asked.

"Yeah." Harley said, pushing her breakfast back and forth across her plate.

"Are ya sure, Sissy?" Mater asked, nuzzling her comfortingly.

Harley's shoulders trembled, and she sniffled. "I….I had a really bad dream."

Doc and Red tensed up, unseen by everyone else. "A bad dream?" Doc repeated.

Harley nodded. "I was with Sheriff. And then these really scary monsters came and they kept hurting us. And it was really, _really_ scary and….." She wiped her eyes clear of tears before they could fall. "I didn't know if I was gonna wake up."

"That does sound scary." John said. "You sure it wasn't something you actually saw? Like, on TV or something?" Doc cast him a disapproving glare, unnoticed by John.

Harley shook her head. "If it was really real, then I went to see Sheriff last night. But Mama said I couldn't, and I wouldn't do somethin' I wasn't supposed to. It had to have been a bad dream. I woulda did what Mama told me." She started crying, upset over the supposed nightmare and the possibility that she actually disobeyed her mother.

"Come now, Harley. It's all right." Paula said soothingly, pulling her daughter into her lap. "Now listen to me. What do you think happened? Was last night a dream or did it really happen? Think about it."

Harley took a moment to do so. Everyone waited for her response patiently. Then, Harley rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "It was a dream."

"Then leave it at that." Doc encouraged. "A bad dream can't hurt you." Harley smiled and nodded, hugging her mother before returning to her breakfast. Doc watched her for a moment. _No doubt her psyche is trying to block out the memory because of the trauma. Best we encourage her to believe that was all a dream for now._

"Where's Sheriff?" Harley asked some time later. "Don't he come eat breakfast with us?"

"Sheriff's feeling a little under the weather today, kiddo." Doc explained. Harley's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "That just means he's a little sick."

"Can I help?" Harley asked sweetly.

Doc chuckled. "No need to worry about it, sweetheart." _You did enough last night._ "But if ya like, when he's out and feelin' better, you can give him a big hug."

"Yeah!" Harley nodded enthusiastically. "I give the best hugs!"

* * *

Doc called John into his office later that day, while everyone else went about their business. Sheriff rested in the main room of the clinic, and Doc warned him to stay out of the conversation or else he'd strap Sheriff to the lift. John came, but he looked less than excited to be there.

Doc was in _absolutely_ no mood to beat around the bush. "How could you do something like this?"

John scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talkin' about putting your own daughter in danger for your own selfish desires." Doc snarled. "I'm talkin' about how you almost got my friend, someone I consider my _family_ , killed."

"Still don't know what you're talking about." John shrugged.

Doc's engine revved in anger, and he was quite satisfied to see John jump back about a foot. "I've been putting up with you all this time because Paula loves you and I thought Harley needed her father in her life. But now I see I have made a mistake by letting you stay this long."

"So what are you going to do?" John taunted. "Throw me out of town? Because I'm not leaving here without Paula."

"I'll have Mater drag you out of town with his tow hook if I have to!" Doc snapped.

"Really?" John smirked sinisterly. "And how do you think Paula will react to that?"

Doc know John had him there. Paula's devotion to John was almost as unhealthy as John's obsession with his wife. But he wouldn't go down without a fight. "Don't think you'll be getting away with anything else, boy. I, like everyone else in this town, will do anything to protect Paula and Harley. Even if it means we have to protect them from you."

John didn't say anything for a long, tense moment. But Doc could see in his eyes that John fully understood this. Doc dismissed him, and John marched off. He didn't look towards anyone as he entered his house, and he looked all around to make sure nobody could eavesdrop on him. But nobody was around outside and Paula had gone to chat with Flo at the café. John picked up the phone and dialed the number.

" _Yeah?"_

"You didn't complete the job."

" _What? You mean that old cop is still alive?"_

"I paid the extra money because you said that job could be done."

" _Hey, we beat him good. There's no way he should've survived that. But I'll tell you what: I can do you a small favor to make up for it."_

"I don't need a favor. I need C4."

" _Buddy, I don't just give that stuff away. You willing to pay for that?"_

"Gladly."

" _What are you planning?"_

"The final act."


	32. Forsaken Family

**Forsaken Family**

Generally, harvest season in Propwash Junction ended by at least mid-November, which gave everyone plenty of time to sell their crops and then prepare for Thanksgiving. At least half of the residents went to visit relatives outside of the county or state, but the relatives coming into Propwash to visit made up for the lost population. Dusty and Sky found something new to appreciate with the coming of November: the end of fire season. Dusty gave in to Sky's request that they hold off on racing until after the holidays so he didn't stress his "better than new" gearbox before they had a chance to see what it could really do. But Sky gave in to Dusty's request to at least go back to practicing with Skipper until then. She had to admit, it was nice to go back to a normal routine and not have to worry about falling out of the sky again. Dusty even called Maru to tell him how great the gearbox worked. Maru laughed, but really he was just hiding his pride at a job well done.

Now, with Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, it was time for everyone to prepare for their celebrations.

"Should we have gravy with our mashed potatoes this year?" Sparky asked as Sky helped him clean the kitchen.

"Every time one of us tried to make gravy, it never ends well." Sky reminded him. "Besides, Skipper says you're a disaster at making gravy."

"I am not!" Sparky huffed.

"Thanksgiving of 1964?" Skipper called from the other room.

"For the last time, I didn't know the pot was boiling over!" Sparky complained.

"Who leaves something on the stove and then walks away?" Skipper countered.

Sky giggled. "You know, I've been thinking. What if we extended our dinner plans?"

"How so?" Sparky asked as they moved into the main room with Skipper.

"Well, it's Spot Fire's first Thanksgiving with us." Sky shrugged. "I was thinking we could have a larger family dinner and invite her and Mayday over. It's not like Mayday ever goes anywhere for the holidays."

"That's true." Skipper agreed, dipping a wing so Sky could hop up and sit down. "I know he hates it when we fuss over him, but I think he gets kinda lonely in that firehouse by himself."

"At least now he has Spot Fire." Sparky shrugged. "But you got a point. Anyone else we should invite?"

"Let me see." Sky thought for a moment. "Dottie and her dad went to visit family in her old hometown. Chug will be with his family. I dunno. Wait, what about Dusty? What are his plans for Thanksgiving?"

"I don't think he has any." Sparky said. "But I think his folks are coming."

"You think?" Sky asked, confused.

"Well, I don't know for sure." Sparky shrugged his tines. "He hasn't mentioned anything."

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever met Dusty's parents, much less seen them." Skipper noted. Sky and Sparky realized Skipper was right. In all the time they had known Dusty, not once had they really seen his parents. He didn't even talk about them.

"They have to be coming, or he has to go see them, right?" Sky asked.

"Why don't you ask him tomorrow?" Skipper suggested. "Then at least we'll know for sure."

* * *

Sky did what Skipper suggested and asked Dusty about his Thanksgiving plans and his parents. His response kind of confused her.

"No, I don't really have any plans." Dusty said, hanging out with Sky and Chug at the Fill N' Fly.

"What about your parents?" Sky asked. "Aren't they coming?"

"Nope." Dusty said.

"Are you going to visit them?" Sky asked.

"Not exactly an option for me." Dusty replied.

"Why not?" Sky asked.

"Why are you asking?" Dusty raised an eye frame at her.

"I just don't want you to be alone on Thanksgiving, or Christmas for that matter." Sky said. "You ought to be with your family."

"It's fine, really." Dusty assured.

Sky wouldn't settle for that answer. "Well, if you don't have any plans, how about you come have Thanksgiving with me, Dad, and Sparky? We're inviting Mayday and Spot Fire too."

"Thanks, but I'm good." Dusty said. "You guys enjoy on your own."

"Then come over and have dinner with my family." Chug offered. "You know you're always welcome in my house."

"Yeah, thanks, Chug." Dusty said appreciatively. "But I don't want to bother anyone."

"You're not bothering anyone if we're offering." Chug said.

"Guys, I really don't want to talk about this, okay?" Dusty said. "I, uh, gotta go. I'll see ya around." He turned and rolled off before Chug or Sky could protest.

"Did we touch a sensitive subject?" Chug asked.

Sky sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I think we did. But why won't he talk about his parents?"

"I dunno." Chug shrugged.

"Have you ever met them?" Sky asked. "I mean, you knew him longer."

"Yeah, but I was always inviting him over to my house." Chug said. "Never really went to his place that often, and I never met his folks."

"Come on, Chug." Sky said. "You had to have met his mom or dad at least once."

Chug thought about it. "Nope. Not once."

"Do you remember when he moved here?" Sky asked.

"Not really." Chug murmured. "But you know who would know? Mayday."

"Mayday?" Sky followed Chug as he began driving off.

"Yeah. He and Max used to look out for Dusty a lot when we were kids." Chug said. "He must know something about Dusty's parents."

Sky couldn't argue with that, so she kept alongside Chug as they journeyed to the firehouse. The building had some decorations to be festive, but not so many that it posed a fire hazard. Mayday and Spot Fire lounged inside, but Spot Fire immediately ran over to greet Chug and Sky when they appeared.

"Hey there, you two." Mayday greeted. "Sky, Sparky recently stopped by and asked if I could come over for Thanksgiving. I told him I could."

"Great." Sky said, scratching Spot Fire behind the ears. "It'll be an awesome dinner. Say, can we ask you something?"

"About what?" Mayday asked.

"About Dusty." Sky answered.

"Oh?" Mayday mused.

"Well, more specifically, about Dusty's parents." Chug added.

Mayday's smile fell to a look almost of surprise. "Oh…."

Sky's eyebrows furrowed. "We just want to know if you've ever met them."

"Never." Mayday said. "I always thought Dusty didn't have parents."

Chug and Sky stared in surprise. "Didn't have parents?" Sky repeated. "What?"

"Well, he never talked about them." Mayday said. "Max and I had asked a couple times, but he always avoided the question. Kinda acted the way you used to on the subject before you were adopted."

"But if Dusty doesn't have parents, how did he come here?" Sky asked. "Chug, you said you and Dusty have known each other since you were toddlers."

Mayday chuckled. "If you count ten years old as 'toddler' age."

Chug smiled sheepishly. "Well, it felt like we had known each other since we were younger than that."

Sky shook her head, but became serious once more. "So how and when did Dusty move to Propwash Junction anyway?"

"I'm not sure he would want me to discuss it." Mayday said uncertainly. "Even I don't know the full story."

"Come on, Mayday. Please?" Sky practically begged. "If Dusty doesn't have people to be with, then I want him to be with us and our family. He deserves that."

Mayday chuckled softly. "You have a good heart, Sky. I'm sure Dusty appreciates that." He sighed. "All right. Come on in." Chug and Sky followed Mayday into the firehouse, and he shut the door to give them some privacy. They made themselves comfortable as Mayday began the story. "It was a normal day in Propwash Junction. At least I had thought so. Max and I were just doing our rounds when a very interesting surprise quite literally fell from the sky…."

* * *

 _Max and Mayday liked to take walks around Propwash Junction. They hated the feeling of being cooped up in the firehouse, and it was nice to check in on everybody and see how life treated them._

 _Max took a deep inhale. "Best thing about being in a small town: the clean, fresh air."_

" _Unless you work with Leadbottom." Mayday joked, causing laughter between the two. "I myself enjoy being so close to nature. Look at that bird flying up there. So beautiful."_

 _Max looked, and his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "That's not a bird. It's a plane."_

" _Is it Superman?" Mayday teased._

 _Max's eyes widened. "No, it's a kid!"_

" _Oh." Mayday nodded. His eyes widened. "What?!" He and Max looked up, and they saw Max was right: a small plane flew unsteadily through the skies, so small it had to have been a child. The boy yelped and shouted in distress, coming straight for the runway for what would surely be a rough landing. Mayday looked down the runway. "Tell that kid to hit his brakes when he hits the runway!" He ordered. "I'll catch him!"_

" _Right!" Max nodded, jogging some ways down the runway while Mayday sped off the other direction. Max stopped halfway down the runway just as the small plane's wheels hit the asphalt. He shouted in fear as he sped down the runway. "Your brakes, kid! Hit your brakes!" Max shouted._

 _The plane whimpered, but did as he was told and tried to apply his brakes. His tires screeched across the asphalt. Mayday stopped right in the plane's path, perpendicular to the track, and braced himself for impact. Thankfully, the young plane managed to stop his momentum enough to only lightly ram into Mayday's side and come to a complete halt._

" _Oh gee!" the plane hopped back. "I'm sorry!"_

" _No worries. Didn't hurt at all." Mayday assured. "Come along, now. Off the runway." He herded the little plane off to one side, taking into account the boy's make and model. He seemed to be an Air Tractor mixed with a couple other models' traits, with a sky blue paintjob and a black stripe on either side of his body that ran from his tri-blade propeller to his tail. He had eyes as blue as the ocean._

" _Hey! You got him!" Max cheered._

" _Sorry again." The boy said sheepishly._

" _Was that your first time flying?" Mayday asked._

" _No. Just my first time landing." The boy replied._

 _Mayday and Max shared a look and chuckled. The young plane had probably only recently mastered basic flight mechanics. Young planes tended to start their lessons around nine or ten years old. Normally, they wouldn't be allowed to fly unaccompanied until they earned their flying license at eighteen._

" _What were you flying around like that for?" Max asked._

" _No reason." The boy said, not looking to the men. "Just travelin'. But I think I ran outta gas."_

" _We can help with that." Mayday assured. "No vehicle should go around with an empty tank. Come on." The boy followed Mayday and Max towards the Fill N' Fly, still rather embarrassed by his rough landing._

" _What's the name, kid?" Max asked._

 _The boy hesitated shyly. "It's Dust…y. Dusty."_

" _And your last name?" Max asked. "It's okay. You can trust us."_

" _Um, it's Crop…hopper. Crophopper." The boy said. "The name's Dusty Crophopper."_

" _Dusty Crophopper." Mayday repeated. "Nice name."_

 _Dusty looked down shyly. "I guess."_

" _Well, I'm Mayday." Mayday introduced. "This is my partner, Max."_

" _Hi." Dusty greeted with a small smile. "Where am I, anyway?"_

" _Propwash Junction, Minnesota." Mayday said. "Welcome."_

" _Thanks." Dusty looked around, his smile growing at the sight of the quaint little town. They finally arrived at the Fill N' Fly, where two fuel trucks waited for any potential customers. They were nearly identical, save for the fact that one was much smaller than the other. The smaller truck had hazel eyes while the larger one had dark brown eyes._

" _Hey there, Max, Mayday!" the larger fuel truck greeted._

" _Hey Freddy!" Max greeted. "This little guy needs a refill."_

" _Can I do it, Dad? Huh? Can I?" the smaller fuel truck pleaded._

 _Freddy chuckled. "Go ahead, sport."_

 _The smaller fuel truck cheered, driving up to the plane. "Hi! I'm Chug! I'm working with my dad today!"_

" _I'm Dusty." Dusty introduced. "I don't need much fuel. I'm saving my money."_

" _We'll take care of it." Max assured. "No worries."_

" _Are you sure?" Dusty asked nervously._

" _Don't worry about it." Mayday assured, giving Chug the all-clear to start filling Dusty's tank. "Come to think of it, was your tank full when you started flying?"_

 _Dusty looked down again. "Uh….yes…."_

" _I see." Mayday shared another look with Max. They could tell the size of Dusty's fuel tank just by looking at the size of the plane, and they knew that much gas could take a boy pretty far if he conserved it well._

 _After getting refueled, Dusty asked if there was a place to get some food, where Max and Mayday decided to try and get some more answers out of the boy._

" _So where did you come from, anyway?" Max asked._

" _I don't really remember the name of the town. But's it's far away from here." Dusty answered._

" _Where are your parents?" Mayday asked._

 _Dusty looked down. He didn't speak._

" _Do you have parents?" Max asked._

" _Well, everybody's got parents, right?" Dusty went up and down on his landing gear in his best shrug._

 _Mayday and Max didn't speak for a moment. "You ran away from home, didn't you?" Mayday guessed._

 _Dusty frowned. "Wouldn't really call it home. Felt more like a prison." He finished the rest of his food. "Thank you for your help. Really. I think I better keep going."_

" _You sure?" Max asked. "I'll bet you're tired from your trip. Maybe you should stick around."_

" _You can stay in the firehouse with us, if you like." Mayday offered._

" _No!" Dusty shook his nose. "I mean, I don't wanna be any trouble."_

" _It's no trouble at all." Mayday assured. "I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you fly off without proper rest."_

" _Stick around." Max shrugged. "You never know. Maybe you'll like it around here."_

 _Dusty thought about it for a while. "Well, okay. I guess I can stay until tomorrow."_

* * *

Mayday pushed a picture towards Chug and Sky. The image showed Max, Mayday, and Dusty at the Corn Fest, all smiling broadly. Sky almost didn't recognize Dusty with his sky blue paintjob. "He stayed well after that." Mayday finished his story. "Max and I looked after him, trying to figure out what to do. But we soon realized he didn't want to go back to where he came from. Based on how he reacted whenever we asked about his parents, we just assumed they were dead. He and Chug really hit off. Eventually, Max and I decided Dusty ought to stick around. I called in a buddy of mine to give us legal claim over him. He sort of became a ward of Propwash Junction. Max and I kept looking out for him. You know, act like surrogate fathers when he needed it. We never asked him about his parents or his past again after that."

Sky stared at the picture. "Dusty…."

"Sky, maybe you should talk to him." Chug suggested.

"I'm not so sure, Chug." Sky said. "I mean, these kinds of topics don't make for the best conversations. Whenever I get involved, it usually results in shouting."

"Maybe." Chug agreed. "But let's face it: you're kind of the expert in these situations."

"If Dusty really is an orphan, then you're the only one who can see eye-to-eye with him." Mayday added.

Sky stared at the picture, focusing on the young Dusty. She rubbed the picture frame with her thumb. "Okay."

* * *

Sky waited until tomorrow to approach Dusty. She walked up to his hanger, hesitating slightly before knocking on the door. She stepped back when the doors opened.

"Oh. Hey Sky." Dusty greeted, reversing so Sky could step inside. He shut the door after her. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about something." Sky said. She wrung her fingers a little. "See, I talked to Mayday about how you came to Propwash Junction."

Dusty's smile fell. "Oh…..what did he tell you?"

"He told me how you apparently ran away from home." Sky said. "And he and Max managed to convince you to stay in town instead of flying off again. And how you never talk about your parents because they might be dead. But I don't think that's the full story."

Dusty looked down. "Oh really?"

"Honestly, I'm afraid that you were abused, Dusty." Sky said. "I'm just concerned for you. There are a lot of things you can do alone, but holidays are a time to be with family. If you've been away from your biological family all this time—if you've really spent every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, and even Fourth of July alone—well, I want that to stop now." She stepped forward and placed a hand on Dusty's nose. "I don't want you to feel alone."

Dusty didn't speak for a moment. Inside, he felt touched that Sky worried about him so much over something that really wasn't that important in his eyes. After all, he hadn't thought about his time before Propwash in so long. But if Sky could trust him with her painful past, then he could trust her with his.

"Okay." Dusty nodded. "Well, the truth is I actually came from a nice home. A big farm far, far away from here, near a town called Lexus Landing."

"Lexus Landing." Sky repeated, paying close attention to Dusty's story.

"Yeah." Dusty affirmed. "Lots of wide open space, a good house to live in, and parents who loved me. Well…..at least I thought they loved me. Ever since I was a kid, I had dreamed of being a racer. I wasn't satisfied with just being a crop duster. But when I told my parents, they just told me what everyone used to tell me: that I wasn't built to race. Not only that, they told me things like 'you'll never be good enough' or 'you don't have the strength for it.' Every chance they got, they took a shot at me to destroy my dreams. They even forced me to start working on the crops the minute I was old enough. But I wouldn't let them take away my dream. So I saved up my chore money and I flew away from home when I was ten."

"You flew away from home when you were ten?" Sky raised an eyebrow.

"You ran away from the orphanage when you were ten." Dusty pointed out.

Sky frowned a little. "Touché."

"I couldn't stand the way my parents talked about my dream, talked about my potential. I felt like I was worthless." Dusty continued. "I took the first chance I got and flew as far as my tank let me. I landed here in Propwash Junction. It was so far away from the farm, so secluded, I figured my parents would never find me here. When Mayday and Max said I could stay, I jumped at the opportunity. I got a job with Leadbottom when I was old enough so I could have money for rent and food, and I taught myself how to race. I even had my name legally changed. My real name used to be 'Dustin Cropper Jr.' Named after my dad, apparently."

Sky stared at Dusty. "So, let me get this straight. You had a house to live in, a family to look out for you, and a place to call home; and yet you decided to just fly away?"

"Never looked back, either." Dusty added in a bitter tone.

"You had a family and you just abandoned them?" Sky snapped.

"Abandoned?" Dusty scoffed.

"Yeah, abandoned." Sky retorted. "That's what this story is sounding like, Dusty."

"What do you know about—" Dusty paused, his eyes going a little wide when he realized what he almost said. "I'm not going to finish that sentence."

"Good choice." Sky growled.

Dusty shook his nose. "Look, I was unhappy. My parents treated my dreams like they were nothing, but my dream of being a racer meant the world to me."

"At least they cared." Sky protested. "For all you know, they were just concerned for you."

"No. I know for sure they didn't put down that dream just because they were worried about me." Dusty assured. "If I hadn't succeeded at racing, I would've gone back to work on the farm."

"I doubt that, but did you even mention that to your parents?" Sky demanded.

"Yeah." Dusty huffed. "They still refused to let me have anything to do with racing."

"At least they didn't leave you behind just because of your dream."

"I almost wish my parents had done that. Would've been a nice, clean break."

"You think I'm glad my parents dropped me out of their lives?"

"You should be happy that you didn't have to watch them sign the paperwork. And think about what's happened now. You have a better family. You have Skipper and Sparky. You got an entire freaking town who'd back you up if you need it. You got me, Sky."

Sky sighed through her nose. "You know I'll always be thankful for that, Dusty. But I only know what it's like to be a victim of abandonment. For the rest of my life, I will only be able to wonder what my parents were thinking, wonder if they knew how much they hurt me. Did you ever think about how your parents reacted when you left home?"

Dusty looked down, going silent. "No. I kinda left and didn't look back. I haven't talked to my parents since I left."

"Maybe you should get in touch with them." Sky suggested. "It couldn't hurt to reach out and connect, especially with the holidays coming up."

"I dunno, Sky." Dusty sighed. "I haven't seen them in so long. I don't think they even came to look for me. What if they just forgot all about me?"

"It's worth a shot to try, right?" Sky shrugged. Dusty didn't answer, and Sky sighed. "I just…I don't want you to lose out on the chance to reconnect with a family you might still have."

"I have a family here in Propwash Junction." Dusty said.

"And there's no reason you can't expand on that family." Sky countered.

Dusty thought about it. He hadn't seen his parents in so long. But what if Sky was right? What if they worried about him after he left? What if they watched his races and figured out who he really was? What if…..what if they missed him? "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Sky giggled. "Nope."

Dusty gave a sideways grin. "Okay. I'll do it. But only if you and Skipper come with me. I wouldn't mind a little backup."

"Deal." Sky nodded.

* * *

Dusty told his story to Skipper, and the Corsair immediately agreed to journey with Dusty and Sky to find Dusty's parents. Surprisingly enough, a look through the most recent Lexus Landing phonebook revealed that Dusty's parents still lived on the same farm where Dusty used to live. Dusty led the way as he and Skipper flew over to the town, Sky riding Dusty the whole way there. She wasn't sure what to expect, but Sky knew she had to be prepared for anything even if it all ended well.

She highly doubted it would, though.

Lexus Landing had a small airstrip, and Dusty and Skipper had to taxi down the highway the rest of the way to the farm. They passed a few cars and a herd of tractors or two, but it still took about half an hour to reach the farm. A mailbox at the gate had the name "Cropper" painted on either side. Fields of corn, wheat, and sunflowers stretched out around the property, and a barn and a henhouse rested off to one side. The house was small, painted red with white shutters and a black roof, and the three Propwash Junction residents went right up to the door.

Dusty knocked. "I hope you're right about this, Sky."

"Me too." Sky admitted.

The door opened a minute later, and a young crop duster plane appeared in the doorway. She looked very similar to Dusty, only smaller in build and colored dark green where Dusty was red. She had the same color eyes as Dusty. She smiled warmly. "Hello! Can I help you?"

Dusty shook off his shock. "Uh, is this the Cropper residence?"

"Uh-huh!" the crop duster nodded. Then, her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh. You're Dusty. Dusty Crophopper."

"Uh, yeah." Dusty confirmed.

The little plane gasped in her joy, her eyes sparkling like sapphires. "You're here! You came! Oh, I knew you'd come!" She looked to Skipper and Sky. "And who are these guys? Friends of yours?"

"Uh, yeah." Dusty said, a little flabbergasted by the girl's reaction to him. "This is Skylar Riley, my racing partner. And this is Skipper Riley, her dad and our coach."

"Oh of course!" the girl laughed. "I should've known! I've watched you race!"

"Really?" Sky asked.

"Yes!" the girl squealed. She shook her nose. "But where are my manners? Come in, come in!" She hurriedly ushered them inside the house, either not noticing their surprised looks or ignoring them. "It's so good to finally meet you. And your friends look nice, too."

"The pleasure is ours." Skipper chuckled.

The little plane giggled. "My name's Desiree, by the way. Desiree Cropper."

"So, you're Dustin and Ryeli Cropper's daughter." Dusty realized.

"Uh-huh!" Desiree nodded enthusiastically. "My parents—I mean, _our_ parents aren't home right now. They'll be back soon."

"Wait, you know I'm your brother?" Dusty asked.

"Yeah!" Desiree suddenly nuzzled Dusty lovingly. "I've been watching you race and I waited so long to finally meet you. Now I have! It's like Christmas came early!"

Dusty, Sky, and Skipper felt like their brains spun around from the confusion. Dusty rolled closer to Desiree. "Hey, Desiree—"

"Oh, you can call me 'Desi' if you like." Desiree said.

"Uh, right." Dusty nodded dismissively. "How old are you?"

"I'm twelve!" Desiree said with an air of pride in her voice. "I'm gonna be thirteen in March!"

Dusty stared. "Oh…..I see….."

It only took a quick calculation for Skipper and Sky to realize that Dusty and Desiree had about a ten year age gap between them. This meant one of two things: Dusty's mother was already pregnant when Dusty left, or Dusty's parents immediately tried for another child after their first one disappeared. Already, Sky could see this encounter going downhill.

Then, the door opened. "Desiree, honey!" a woman called. "We're home!"

"Mom! Dad!" Desiree called back, hurrying to her parents. "You won't believe it! Dusty's here! Dusty's here!"

"Dusty?" the woman laughed. "What on earth are you—"

Two planes rounded the corner, and they froze when they saw the guests in their house. But they focused fully on Dusty, who could only stare at the two planes. One of them was an Air Tractor 502, colored royal blue with black stripe decals on his sides. He had blue eyes like his paintjob. The other plane was a Cessna, white with sky blue stripe decals. She had blue eyes a similar shade to Desiree's and Dusty's eyes.

Dustin and Ryeli Cropper, Dusty's and Desiree's parents.

"Hey…." Dusty wasn't sure what to call them. Mom and Dad? Mr. and Mrs. Cropper? Dustin and Ryeli? His words got caught in his throat, so he just left it at "hey".

"Dustin….." Ryeli breathed, staring at her son. "Is that really you?"

Dusty almost cringed at hearing his old name. He cleared his throat. "Uh, this is Skylar and her dad Commander Riley. They're friends of mine."

Dustin and Ryeli looked to them, and Sky waved awkwardly. "Hello." Skipper only gave a nod in greeting, already hostile.

"See? Dusty came!" Desiree said excitedly. "I told you we'd get to see him again! He's not too famous to visit his family!"

"So it would seem." Dustin said, staring at Dusty with a mix of shock and some irritation.

Skipper rolled forward and closer to Dusty, as though aiming to protect him. He could tell from the look in Dustin's eyes that this was not a warm welcome. But Dusty noticed Skipper's movement. "Uh, listen, can we talk alone?"

Dustin didn't look too excited about that, but Ryeli spoke up before he could. "Sure. Of course. Um, Desiree, sweetie? Why don't you show Commander Riley and his daughter around the farm?"

"But I wanna talk to Dusty." Desiree complained.

"You'll have plenty of time to do that later." Ryeli assured. "Go on."

"Oh okay." Desiree sighed. "But can they stay for dinner? Please?"

Ryeli cast a glance to Dusty, then to Skipper and Sky. "I don't see why not."

"Ryeli." Dustin's tone clearly conveyed how much he disagreed with that idea.

"We wouldn't want to be a bother." Sky piped up.

"No, no, not at all." Ryeli assured. "We'd love to have you over. For now, Desi, why don't you give a tour of the farm while we talk, okay?"

"Okay!" Desiree nodded. "Come on!"

Dusty nodded to Sky, encouraging her to follow Desiree. Skipper followed behind Sky, but he glared at Dustin. The Air Tractor returned the glare, but quickly looked away out of intimidation. He couldn't exactly say much to the huge Corsair who had freaking _guns_.

Desiree brought Skipper and Sky around the farm, showing them the area. She chatted away a mile a minute, describing the fields she helped dust with her father, the barn where they kept some livestock, and the henhouse where she liked to chase the chickens. Skipper and Sky didn't reply much except for a few comments and nods, but they already began feeling more relaxed around Desiree. Her pleasant, bubbly personality sort of reminded them of Dusty, and they began taking a liking to her.

"And all out there is our property too!" Desiree said, stopping at a fence and looking out to a wide pasture. "Our land stretches really far!"

"Amazing." Sky breathed.

"Nice patch of land you got here." Skipper admitted.

"Uh-huh!" Desiree nodded. "I love working on the farm. It can be hard, but I make it fun. And guess what? Mom and Dad said that someday all of it will be mine!"

"Oh yeah?" Sky asked, smiling.

"Yep!" Desiree nodded again, so hard her propeller might've fallen off. "When I inherit the farm, I want to raise horses, too. They'll live right in this pasture where they can run around as much as they like."

"I love horses!" Sky gasped.

"Me too!" Desiree squealed.

Skipper chuckled. _Such a sweet kid. She and Dusty would get along well._ His smile faltered. _But then what's so different about Desiree that her parents treated her differently? Why did they seem to support her more than Dusty? Because of the farm?_

Back in the house, Dustin and Ryeli settled down in their living room with Dusty in front of them. Ryeli poured iced tea for everyone, but nobody drank it. A tense silence hung in the air for a minute.

"So how's the racing life treating you?" Ryeli finally asked. "Desiree loves to watch your races. You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself."

"Yeah." Dusty shrugged. "I, uh, became a firefighter too."

"Really?" Ryeli gasped. "Incredible."

"So now you're putting your life in danger on multiple levels." Dustin droned, uninterested.

"Dustin!" Ryeli scolded. Dusty looked down with a frown and a glare.

Silence returned.

"Why did you come back?" Dustin finally asked.

"I was convinced to come back and check in after all these years." Dusty replied simply. "I didn't want to, but my friend talked me into it."

"So what do you expect to gain from this?" Dustin demanded.

"I'm not really sure." Dusty admitted. "Already, I'm starting to wish I had never come."

Silence.

"Dustin…..I mean, Dusty, why did you run away?" Ryeli asked.

Dusty stared at her. "Why couldn't you accept my dream to be a racer?"

"Being a racer isn't exactly a great career choice." Dustin chided. "What kind of a foolish dream was that?"

"Dustin, that's enough." Ryeli snapped. "Listen, we're all adults here. I think we can stand to tell Dusty the full story."

Dustin sighed. "Fine."

Ryeli nodded in satisfaction, looking back to Dusty. "The reason we couldn't accept your dream was because it wasn't supposed to be part of your life."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dusty demanded.

"Generations ago, when our farm was first established, our family created the deed to the property from scratch." Ryeli explained. "From what your father was told from his father, it took quite a bit of talking with the bank to settle on the terms. One of the most important was this: our claim on the farm only holds as long as we have an heir who can take over for us when we're gone. That's why we had you."

"But then you started talking about becoming a racer." Dustin continued. "All that talk made it seem like you were really serious, and that jeopardized the plan. So we did what we could to dissuade you from becoming a racer. Your dream was supposed to stay on the farm, so you could inherit it when the time came. But the last thing we expected was you running away."

Dusty didn't answer. He very clearly remembered the night he packed a small bag, snuck out of the house, and taxied about a mile down the highway before taking off into the skies.

"Of course, we were devastated when we found out." Dustin said. "We went out to search for you. But after a week, we were beginning to lose hope. And the bank had found out about you going missing. We were desperate to ensure our claim on the farm. So we left the search to the police while we worked on securing an heir. Lo and behold, we got Desiree. And she actually _wants_ to work on the farm, thank Ford."

Ryeli looked down. "We never did hear from you again. The police gave up after a few months."

Dusty glared at the two planes. They looked mildly guilty over the incident, but it only made him angrier. "When did you hear I had become a racer?"

"The Wings Around the Globe Rally." Ryeli answered. "Desiree loves to watch racing, and when we saw you, there was something so familiar. We kept watching your races, and soon it clicked: you were our son."

"So why didn't you come get me?" Dusty demanded. "Why didn't you reach out to me? I was in Minnesota this entire time, and you gave up searching after you barely started!"

"We searched as far as Marshall!" Ryeli snapped. "Forgive us if we thought you were dead!"

"Besides, when we saw you had actually succeeded at being a racer, we thought you were doing well for yourself." Dustin said. "We agreed it was best to just leave you as you were."

"Why?" Dusty scoffed. "Because you didn't need me anymore? Because you had a new child who would do what you want? Follow the dream _you_ set up for her?"

"Dusty, you were never supposed to be a racer." Dustin said. "That wasn't in your destiny."

Dusty's eyes blazed with fury. "Who are _you_ to decide my 'destiny'? I am proud of who I am now. I became who I am now because I have people who actually care about me and supported me!"

"What'd you do?" Dustin scoffed. "Run away to find a new family?"

Dusty's glare deepened. "You better believe it." He turned and rolled off to the door, slamming it shut behind him. The loud sound made Skipper, Sky, and Desiree jump, the three of them standing in the pathway leading to the front gate. "Sky! Skipper! Come on. We're leaving."

"But I wanna talk to you too!" Desiree protested as Dusty pushed past her.

"Well I don't want to talk to you!" Dusty snapped. "It's your fault my parents didn't come looking for me! It's all your fault!" He didn't look back, continuing right out to the highway.

Sky and Skipper stared in shock. "He….he doesn't mean that, I'm sure." Sky told Desiree. "I think he's just mad."

"That's okay." Desiree nodded. "I still think he's an amazing brother."

"Well, we're sorry to cut the tour short." Skipper said. "But we better follow him."

"Okay." Desiree said. "I'm gonna go talk to Mom and Dad. Come back whenever you'd like!"

Skipper and Sky weren't sure if they would/could, but they thanked Desiree and bid her goodbye as they hurried after Dusty.

* * *

It was a good thing they left when they did.

It was only after they had returned to Propwash Junction did Dusty tell Skipper and Sky what his parents told him. Skipper was so angry he wanted to go back and tear Dustin to shreds. But he quelled his anger when he witnessed Dusty locking himself in his hanger. Dusty didn't emerge for a few days, clearly irritated, angry, and hurt.

Sky went to talk to him the day before Thanksgiving. She stood in front of his hanger door, unsure how she would go about this. Taking in a breath and letting it out slowly, she raised her fist and knocked lightly.

"Hey Dusty? Can I come in?" Sky asked.

Dusty's soft reply came. "Sure."

Sky opened the door enough for her to slip in, and she shut the door behind her. Dusty parked himself by the window, staring out into the distance. Sky walked over and hopped up on his wing. The two of them sat in silence, each trying to figure out what to say.

Dusty spoke first. "I remember when we went to search for your birth parents. We stopped outside that amphitheater and you went inside. I wasn't sure what would happen when you came back, but I didn't think you would return so quickly and looking so angry. What did you see?"

Sky sighed. "Same thing as you saw the other day, I guess. I saw the reason my parents never came back for me. The reason they were able to move on. It only took me a few minutes to realize going to see them would've been stupid."

"What are you going to do if they come looking for you?" Dusty asked.

Sky scoffed. "They're never going to come looking for me, Dusty. They don't need me." Her head dipped in sadness. "They don't want me."

Dusty frowned. "Yeah? Then forget about them. You're wanted here, and nothing is going to change that."

"I know that, Dusty." Sky assured with a smile. "And I love the family I have now." She nudged him. "You're part of that family, you know. Never had siblings myself, but you're a pretty good brother…..for a doofus."

Dusty barked a laugh. "You think I'm a doofus, huh?"

"Yep!" Sky laughed. She yelped when Dusty suddenly dipped his wing and sent her tumbling to the ground. The two of them laughed.

"Well if I'm a doofus, you're a punk." Dusty smirked.

Sky stuck her tongue out at him, still smiling broadly as she stood. She noticed Dusty went back to staring out the window, but he had a grin on his lips. "Kinda weird, huh? We were both abandoned, even in your case, and now we're part of a new family."

"I dunno." Dusty shrugged. "Maybe that's why we get along so well. We understand each other." His smile grew. "I would never abandon you, Sky. I know what it's like to feel alone too."

Sky would never admit out loud how touched she felt when Dusty said that. "You know, my offer still stands. If you want to spend Thanksgiving with us, we'll have a lot of food." She turned and walked off. "Just think about it."

Dusty watched her go. He thought about her offer. On the one wing, he hadn't spent a Thanksgiving with a family in a long time. On the other wing, he didn't know if he would feel comfortable sitting in on someone else's celebration.

Then again, they were family.

* * *

Skipper had to open every door and window in the hanger to let the smoke out, and the smoke detector still didn't shut off for another minute or two. Sky held her fire extinguisher ready, just in case the flames returned. But all that remained was a pot filled with charred remains and retardant.

Sky glared at Sparky, the culprit of the fire. "That is the _last_ time we try and make gravy. Ever."

Sparky sighed. "Deal."

"Knock knock!" Mayday called from the door, his greeting accompanied by Spot Fire's bark.

"Come on in, Mayday!" Skipper said. "The smoke should clear up in a second."

"Let's just be thankful Sparky and I cooked everything else _before_ the gravy, or else we'd be having dinner at ten." Sky said, setting her fire extinguisher aside.

"Well, I did bring something to add to the table." Mayday lowered a basket of biscuits from his hood onto the table Sparky set up. "Thank you again for the invitation."

"We're happy to have ya here!" Sparky called from the kitchen. "Hey Sky, can you set out the plates and silverware?"

"You got it!" Sky nodded.

"Hurry it up!" Skipper called. "The turkey's getting cold!"

Soon, the windows and doors were shut and everyone parked themselves around the table to eat. Spot Fire even got a plate on the floor, where she sat next to Mayday.

Before anyone could eat, they heard another knock at the door. "I'll get it." Skipper offered, rolling over towards the hanger doors. He opened them and peered outside. Blinking in surprise, he discovered a familiar firefighting plane in front of him. "Hey there, Dusty."

Dusty smiled, albeit nervously. "Hey Skipper." He cleared his throat. "I, uh, brought some pumpkin muffins." He showed off the container of muffins on his wing. "I mean, they're just bought from the store, but I figured they would be nice." He cleared his throat again. "I just didn't want to show up without something to offer so I—"

"Dusty." Skipper interrupted gently, a smile on his lips. "Would you like to come in?"

Dusty grinned sheepishly. "Well, I mean, if you'll have me."

Skipper chuckled, moving aside. "Come on in, Dusty. Welcome."

"Thanks, Skip." Dusty said gratefully, taxiing into the hanger. Skipper kept his warm grin as he shut the door and followed Dusty back to the table.

"Hey Dusty!" Sky waved. "You made it!" Dusty gave a shrug of his wings, setting the muffins on the table and settling down between Skipper and Mayday. But Dusty could see the gratefulness in Sky's eyes. She was really happy he came. "Can we eat now?" Sky asked excitedly.

"In a minute." Skipper said. "What does the Riley family do before we eat every Thanksgiving?"

"Oh, right." Sky giggled. "We say what we're thankful for. It's your turn to start this year, Dad."

Skipper chuckled. "All right. Let me think. This year, I'm thankful that you and Dusty were able to pull through your last big crash at Piston Peak. Almost gave me an engine attack, but I'm happy just the same." Everyone laughed.

Sky thought for a minute. "I'm thankful that I found my Soul Connect partner, and that I was able to help him like he helped me."

Sparky was next. "I'm thankful we were able to reopen Propwash Junction's airport and everything worked out the way it did."

"I agree." Mayday said. "I'm thankful for good friends like you two." He smiled at Sky and Dusty. "What you did for me and the town was very selfless and kind."

Spot Fire barked and rubbed her head lovingly against Mayday's fender. It seemed she was thankful for finding a new family.

Now it was Dusty's turn. He thought for a second. "I'm thankful that I have a family to love and loves me too. And that I had a couple awesome firefighters looking out for me when I moved here." He and Mayday shared a smile.

"Amen to that." Sky giggled. "Can we eat now?"

Skipper laughed. "All right."

Dusty had to admit, Sky and Sparky could cook pretty well. He never considered Thanksgiving dinner so important, having spent the last several years alone during this time. But now, sitting with everyone and talking and laughing, he felt a new warmth inside him. Propwash Junction was his home, and the people he knew here were his family.

 _Boy am I lucky._ Dusty thought. He sniffed the air. "Hey, is something burning?"

Sparky gasped. "My pie!" He sped off to the kitchen.

Sky rolled her eyes, picking up her fire extinguisher. "We'll be right back."

* * *

After Thanksgiving had passed, Dusty told Chug and Dottie about finding his parents and the whole fiasco with him running away. His two friends looked shocked, yet thankful he was able to get some closure. They didn't pester him about it, and they moved on from the subject. December arrived, and with it came the snow. Everyone began preparing for Christmas, and snowball fights were common. Skipper changed Dusty's and Sky's training routine, giving them a lighter load so they didn't run the risk of getting sick in the cold air.

One day, as they landed on the runway after a successful bout of training, Chug hurried up to them. "Hey Dusty! Dusty! You got a visitor!"

"A visitor?" Dusty repeated. "Who?"

"Dunno." Chug admitted. "Maybe a fan?"

Dusty, Sky, and Skipper exchanged looks, following Chug to the Fill N' Fly. But when they arrived, they were shocked to discover Desiree and Ryeli waiting there and talking to Sparky and Dottie.

"What are they doing here?" Sky wondered.

"Better them than the husband." Skipper muttered bitterly.

Dusty sighed. "Come on." They all approached the Fill N' Fly, and the sight of Dusty made Desiree and Ryeli pause in their conversation.

"Hi Dusty!" Desiree greeted cheerily.

"Hello Dusty." Ryeli greeted.

"Hey." Dusty greeted, trying to stay pleasant. "What brings you two to Propwash Junction?"

"I caught this one—" Ryeli gestured to a sheepish Desiree. "—trying to fly off to come and see you without an adult."

"I brought you a Christmas present!" Desiree said, showing off the box on her wing wrapped in green paper and a big red bow.

Ryeli motioned to one side, signaling to Dusty that she wanted to talk to him privately. Dusty nodded to his friends in reassurance, and he and Ryeli moved off to one side to talk. Ryeli sighed. "Listen, I do not expect you to forgive me and your father…er, my husband…..for what we did. You're right. We should've tried harder to look for you. We shouldn't have tried to put down your dreams." She looked around. "You have a good home here, it would seem. And I'm not going to try and interfere with that. But Desiree wants to get to know you. Do you think…..I don't know, maybe you could speak with her? At least just for today?"

Dusty stared at Ryeli for a moment, then glanced to Desiree. He exhaled softly. "You're right. I don't know if I can forgive and forget what happened." He let Ryeli's ashamed expression wash over him, and he didn't feel an ounce of regret at saying those words. They were somewhat hard to say, but he knew—deep down—it was the truth. He returned to everyone else, approaching Desiree.

The little crop duster had a mile-wide smile on her lips, but she frowned in concern when Dusty didn't smile back. "I'm sorry Mom and Dad didn't try hard enough to find you. When they told me I used to have a brother, they said you had died. That's why I was so happy when I found out you were alive. So, to make it up to you for what Mom and Dad did, I wanna be the best little sister in the world for you. Is that okay?"

Dusty stared at her for a moment, and then looked to his friends. "What do you guys think?"

"Your choice, Duster." Chug said.

"Yeah, she's supposed to be _your_ little sister." Dottie added.

"Agreed." Sparky piped up. Skipper nodded.

Dusty looked to Sky, who shrugged. "Like they said, it's your choice. But if you want my opinion….." The anticipated look in Dusty's eyes confirmed this. "I think you should get to know her. She's innocent in this entire situation."

Dusty turned around and stared at Desiree. She gave a shy smile. Dusty finally smiled back. "Hey, lil' sis, you want a tour of where I live?"

Desiree's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Yes please!"

Dusty laughed. "Okay. Let's go!"

* * *

 **A/N: All right, folks. I got good news and I got bad news.**

 **Bad news: this is my last oneshot for this story for the time being.**

 **Good news: a sequel is coming to** _ **Into the Psyche**_ **!**

 **I won't reveal any details, but the first chapter will come soon, so keep an eye out!**


	33. This Is War

**This is War**

"Yer fault."

"Is not."

"Is so."

"It is not."

"Sure it is."

"I deny it completely."

"I don't."

"Mater."

"Finn."

"Both of you stop it!" Holley sighed in frustration at the bickering men who sounded more like children at this point. "Honestly, how is that getting us anywhere?"

"I jus' wanna remind Finn dat this here sitiation is all his fault." Mater said with a childlike pout.

"This here 'sitiation' is _not_ my fault." Finn protested. "If anything, it's your fault for encouraging her."

"Hey, if it weren't fer you, Harley wouldn't have gone ta the dark side!" Mater countered.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Harley did not go to the dark side. Don't be so overdramatic."

"You're one to talk." Holley huffed. "The both of you are a couple of drama kings."

Suddenly, they heard shots fired, and the tree they parked beside shook from the impact.

"She found us." Mater gulped.

"Drive for your life!" Holley yelped. The three of them shot off, jumping when they heard more shots fired. The barrage of gunfire didn't come from Harley. They knew she was saving her ammunition until she got a clear shot at them. That's how most of their team was taken out.

"Split up!" Finn ordered. Holley and Mater each took a new direction, but Finn changed his path of travel only slightly in hopes of drawing the fire towards him. Maybe then Holley and Mater could regroup and come up with a plan. They would need one if they wanted to escape this alive.

Of all the things Finn expected, Harley turning on her comrades was not one of them.

The forest offered a new set of problems. It was both a blessing and a curse: plenty of cover for them to hide, but also several places for someone to pop out. Finn ducked down behind a collection of boulders, panting silently. He listened closely as several enemy cars and humans passed by, but did not discover him. He sighed in relief. As long as he kept his wits about him, he could potentially win this.

Finn froze when he heard tires tearing through the dirt and grass. He prepared his gun, but Mater screeched to a halt in front of him instead of an enemy. Thankfully, Finn had waited and looked before shooting.

"We gotta move!" Mater urged. Finn didn't question him. The two cars sped off as stealthily as possible, hoping they wouldn't draw attention or be caught in any way. They found another hiding spot behind a large tree and a collection of bushes. The two cars panted softly.

"What happened to Holley?" Finn demanded in a low tone.

Mater swallowed, still trying to regain his breath. "We lost her."

Finn's eyes widened. "Oh no. Not Holley!"

"I'm scared." Mater squeaked.

"Come now, Mater." Finn scolded. "Let's not lose our hoods."

"But we're gonna die!" Mater whimpered.

"We are _not_ going to die." Finn assured. "There are two of us and one of her."

"Which means she can brag more when she wins!" Mater complained.

Finn groaned. Secretly, he too feared their seemingly imminent defeat. "Just be calm. How many rounds do you have left?"

Mater grinned sheepishly. "Uh….more like…a few shots….."

"You had almost two full rounds of ammunition left just a few minutes ago!" Finn gawked.

"I kinda got…uh, how Sheriff says…trigger happy." Mater explained.

"Oh great." Finn groaned. "Maybe you're right. We _are_ doomed."

"Yer the one with the plans." Mater said. "What do ya think we should do?"

"Well, I did have a plan with James, but I'm not sure what happened to him." Finn said. "For all we know, we may be the only survivors of our team."

The branches of the tree shook as gunfire rained down on their cover.

"Not again!" Mater gulped.

"Go, Mater! Move!" Finn urged. They kicked up dirt as they sped off.

Mater yelped in surprise as he felt something like rocks pelting his back fender and tires. He skidded to a halt. Finn screeched to a stop, but Mater shouted at him. "Keep goin', Finn! Go without me!"

Finn hated the idea, but he suddenly saw a shadow in the trees. He reversed before any of the shots could hit him, and he did a quick 180 to drive away. But he could hear branches rustling and breaking right above and behind him. If he didn't think of something soon, he was a goner.

Suddenly, Harley dropped down right in front of him. She fired a shot from her gun, but Finn stopped just before it could hit him. He fired back, but Harley created a force field around her to block the shot. The two of them stood firm, each aiming their gun at the other.

"I'll admit, you were hard to catch." Harley said.

"And you are faster than I expected." Finn countered.

Harley smirked. "Well now we seem to be at a stalemate. Neither one of us can hit the other until I drop the force field."

"That's a bit of an unfair advantage, don't you think?" Finn noted.

"All's fair in love and war." Harley shrugged with snarky smirk.

Finn looked around. "Perhaps we can come to an agreement?"

Harley raised an eyebrow. "Sure. And then I can take my flying pig for a stroll."

"Well what are you going to do, then?" Finn demanded. "We can't stay like this forever."

Harley suddenly dropped the force field and ducked behind a tree. Finn kept his gun out and darted after her. But he circled the tree and didn't see Harley anywhere. He tensed up, looking all around for her. But right when he heard her cry of effort, Harley leaped out from nowhere and kicked Finn's gun, knocking it loose and disarming him. Harley landed before Finn, grinning triumphantly and aiming her gun for him.

"Guess we aren't at a stalemate anymore." Harley shrugged.

Finn laughed nervously. "Now, Harley. I'm sure we can work something out."

Harley hummed, musing the thought. "Such as?"

"I've been shot before with those things." Finn nodded to Harley's gun. "I would like to not get shot by them again if I can avoid it. So I'll make a deal with you. Don't shoot, and I offer complete surrender."

"Really?" Harley asked. "You'll truly surrender?"

"Yes." Finn nodded.

"And you won't underestimate my abilities again, will you?" Harley guessed.

Finn sighed. "No."

Harley paused, then grinned. "And I want to take point on our next assignment, no matter what it may be."

"Are you bloody mad?" Finn snapped. He jumped when Harley jerked her gun towards him. "All right! All right! Deal!"

Harley smiled cheekily. "Thank you, Finn." She spun around and fired into the tree branches above her. A car once suspended in the branches jumped and shouted in surprise. The jerking movement caused him to slip from the branches and fall to the ground, thankfully landing on all four tires like a cat. He groaned painfully, blue paint splattered across his fender and windshield. "Sorry, James!" Harley called. She turned and gave a look to Finn. "Really, Finn? A sneak attack? You're better than that."

Finn sighed. "If I was, I would have come up with a better plan."

"Still, you surrendered. So I win." Harley shrugged. She turned and shouted into the forest. "Victory for the Blue Team!"

A chorus of cheers and shouts rang out, and Harley became surrounded by vehicle and human C.H.R.O.M.E. agents who congratulated her for the fine shooting skills. Finn sighed again, driving around the commotion.

"James, are you all right?" Finn called to the recently fallen car.

"I'm quite all right, McMissile!" Agent James called, stretching and shaking himself a bit. "My suspension isn't shot yet!"

Finn nodded in relief. He noticed Mater driving up to him. "You all right, Mater?"

"Harley went easy on me." Mater said. He had a few spots of blue paint across his side and fender. "But Holley…" He looked behind him, and Finn followed his gaze.

"Oh Holley." Finn moaned in sympathy.

Holley sighed. Most of her magenta paintjob was covered by the blue that came from a barrage of paintball pellets. "This is what I get for doubting Harley's abilities."

"She _did_ git shootin' lessons from Sheriff." Mater reminded them.

"Yes, but I was the one who suggested we go against each other." Finn sighed.

"Bet you regret that, huh?" Harley asked, leaning against Finn's side and twirling her paintball gun.

"I thought you could use the challenge!" Finn protested.

"I bet you also thought that you could poke fun and easily beat me." Harley said.

"It's not fair to read my mind, Harley." Finn droned.

Harley laughed. "Maybe next time, you'll put up more of a fight." She walked off with a couple other agents, still receiving praise for her fine work.

"I have a proposition: for our next agency paintball game, we have Harley on our team." Holley suggested.

"Agreed." Finn and Mater said.

"Ah think ya should _always_ have Harley on yer team." Mater added.

"Agreed." Finn and Holley nodded.


	34. Siblings Part Two

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry for the late updates. Things are crazy busy for me.**

 **But did anyone else see the** _ **Cars 3**_ **teaser? Who's pumped for this movie?**

* * *

 **Siblings – Part Two**

"Go Lightning!" Harley cheered excitedly, the roar of the racecars not bothering her in the slightest. Doc had wanted her to wear protective earmuffs, but his thirteen-year-old daughter complained that it hurt her ears more to wear the earmuffs. Besides, she wanted to hear every little thing that happened during the race. So Doc reluctantly allowed her to forego the protective gear, and he even let her sit up on his roof to get a great view of the track. Lightning was starting a new season of racing with his new Radiator Springs team. Doc had put him under a training schedule months prior. While Lightning complained about it from time to time, he couldn't deny that his first couple races started out really well. His team from Radiator Springs was the best he could've asked for, and he was thankful that they stuck by him. Then again, even if he wanted a new team, he probably wouldn't find anyone to work with him. There were still many who doubted his change in character.

It was just as well. His new team was the best. Doc especially was the greatest crew chief Lightning could ever ask for. He knew how to combine his knowledge and experience with Lightning's style. Doc took a liking to Lightning McQueen, even to the point where he considered the rookie like a son to him. Despite his initial beliefs about the boy, Doc found that Lightning fit in well with the people of Radiator Springs. Truth be told, Doc was rather happy to be back in the racing scene again. But he would never actually say that to Lightning, Harley, or anybody for that matter.

There was one thing that Doc didn't like: the parties. In his rookie days, he used to love the party scene: the pre-race pageantry, the post-race excitement, and all the bells and whistles. Going back into the racing world, he began to wonder why he loved the parties so much. They were loud, obnoxious, and the cockiness of some of the racers really got on his nerves. If it weren't for Lightning and Harley, Doc would've avoided every single party that followed the race. Lightning wouldn't stop talking about all the racers and other people who wanted to speak with racing legend the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Harley was curious about how the circuit worked, and her hunger for racing knowledge seemed endless. So Doc agreed to accompany Lightning to parties as often as he could, with the condition that the entire team came as well, including Harley.

The party following Lightning's win that night was a bit more low-key. A loud, rowdy dance floor was inside a ballroom while a bar and dining area was set up outside in the cool night air. The Radiator Springs team mingled about, but most of them returned to the hotel after a few hours. Doc, Lightning, Harley, and Mack remained to enjoy the rest of the party.

Harley excused herself to find the bathroom, but realized she actually had no idea where to look. She weaved her way through the humans and cars, looking for a sign, but soon found herself rather lost. So she skated up to one of the racers and tapped him on the side. "Excuse me?" She asked as sweetly as she could.

The stock car turned, him and his buddies giving Harley rather bored looks. "What, kid? Can't you see we're talking? Shouldn't you be with your parents?"

"I, uh, was just looking for the bathroom." Harley said, a bit taken aback by the car's attitude.

"Aw, is the little baby lost?" one of the forklifts pouted with a mocking tone.

Harley frowned. "I'm not lost. I just need to find the bathroom, please."

"So go find it." The second car at the table huffed. The first car turned back to his friends, purposefully pushing Harley to one side with his back fender. Harley glared, but simply rolled off to find someone else who could help her.

Luckily, she came across Tex and he was plenty kind enough to point out the restrooms. She got inside and did her business before going up to the sinks. But when she finished washing her hands, she turned to skate out of the restroom and suddenly slipped on some spilt water. A couple forklifts snickered at her as they passed. Harley glared after them, but simply stood and dusted herself off. Some of the water got on her shorts, but not so much that it looked like she wet herself. Harley began skating back to her family.

"Hey kid!" Harley paused when another racer sitting with his crew called to her. "What's the matter? Get so scared of the cars you wet yourself?"

Harley frowned, her fists clenched. But she didn't want to cause trouble. "It's just water."

"Sure it is." One of the forklifts laughed.

"This is why a kid shouldn't be here." Another forklift huffed.

Harley felt her face burn with embarrassment, but her fists clenched harder in anger. She knew that if she made a scene, it would only embarrass herself further, and maybe even embarrass her father. So she pushed off and took some time to calm down. It worked. When she finally returned to Doc, Lightning, and Mack, none of them said anything about her appearance. Their evening progressed smoothly.

"What did I tell ya, Doc?" Lightning said with a grin. "Parties can be pretty fun if you just let loose."

"Letting loose is how you ended up drunk and singing karaoke back in Dallas." Doc noted.

"Quite badly, by the way." Harley added.

Lightning rolled his eyes. "Oh whatever."

"You _are_ a bit of a lightweight, Kid." Mack reminded him.

"Which is why you're not having any more of those." Doc gestured to the drink already in front of Lightning.

"Aw, come on!" Lightning whined. "It was one Crudeweiser!"

"And that's all you're gettin'." Doc said firmly.

Lightning pouted. "Can I at least get a nonalcoholic Crudeweiser?"

"You can have a can of oil." Doc said.

Lightning sighed exasperatedly. "Fine."

"I'll get it for you." Harley offered. "Anyone else need anything?"

"Can you carry more than one can?" Mack asked.

"Sure!" Harley nodded confidently. "They ain't so big."

"Then I'll take a can if you don't mind!" Mack said.

"Okay!" Harley nodded. "Dad?"

"I'm good, sweetheart. Thank you." Doc said.

Harley skated off to the bar, weaving her way through the party patrons. She approached the bar and patiently waited for an open spot. Once a forklift waitress had moved, Harley approached the bar and stood on the tiptoes of her skates.

"Excuse me?" she piped up, catching the bartender's attention. "I need two cans of oil for Lightning McQueen's table."

"Comin' right up, kiddo!" the bartender said cheerily, moving to the back of the counter. Harley leaned on the counter, humming while she waited.

"Never knew a human who drank oil." Someone beside her muttered.

"What a freak show." Their companion snickered.

Harley rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to respond. She had heard it all before, and she didn't care anymore. But she didn't expect someone to suddenly pull on her ankle, knocking her legs out from under her. She bonked her head on the edge of the counter as she fell to the floor. The patrons at the bar chuckled, some louder than others.

"Hey, show a little respect!" the bartender barked. He looked over the edge of the counter. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Harley huffed, standing. She brushed herself off and readjusted her glasses. Her head hurt, but she wasn't bleeding.

"This is the child of the Fabulous Hudson Hornet." The bartender snapped. "She deserves our respect for that if not for her kindness."

Harley murmured a thanks as she took the cans of oil from the bartender. She skated back towards the table, holding the cans of oil close to her so she didn't drop them. It was slow going. She kept having to swerve to avoid party patrons, careful to not drop the oil cans should their caps come off. Harley readjusted the cans again. She could easily see over them and hold them close, but they were a bit heavy.

Then, one of the cars reversed and bumped into her. Harley swerved and yelped, desperate to regain her balance and not drop anything. After nearly doing the split and juggling the cans a little, Harley finally managed to settle into a standing position. She sighed in relief, her glasses a bit askew.

Suddenly, a forklift from one of the racing crews passed by and smacked the oil cans out of Harley's arms. The cans flew into the air while Harley slipped on some water and hit the ground. The lids of the cans flew off, dumping their contents all over Harley while the cans clattered to the ground. Harley became splattered and splotched with drinking oil. Everyone around her began laughing while she just sat there, unsure what to do while her face burned with embarrassment.

"Some kid of the Hudson Hornet."

"Oh please. She's not even his real kid."

"She can't take any credit if she's not related to him."

"She's just a distraction."

"Why would McQueen keep her around?"

Harley finally couldn't take it anymore. She scrambled to her feet and skated/ran off, tears escaping her eyes. She pushed past a couple people and ran inside the ballroom area. She ended up going past/through the dance floor and out a back door, stumbling and falling behind some bushes next to the building. Harley curled up in a ball, burying her face in her knees as she sobbed.

* * *

Lightning wandered off to talk with some of his racing buddies, and Mack ran into some of the Rust-eze folks and started chatting with them. When they left, Doc suddenly realized Harley hadn't returned from getting Lightning and Mack their drinks. That was almost an hour ago. He drove off, casually returning the greetings from other racers while scanning the area for his daughter. But even when he began calling for Harley, he didn't see hide nor hair of the girl.

He did run into Lightning again. "Hey Doc!" Lightning greeted. "Loosened up yet?"

"Hardly." Doc huffed. "I'm actually looking for Harley. Have you seen her anywhere?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her in a while." Lightning said. "It shouldn't take that long to get drinks. I'm sure she's just wandering around or maybe she's talking to some of the racers."

"Well, I'd feel better if I knew for sure." Doc said, worry in his eyes. "I'm going to keep looking. Let me know if you find her, all right?"

"Can do, Doc!" Lightning agreed. Doc nodded in thanks and drove off. Lightning took a look around. He saw racers, their crews, and waiters wandering around, but he didn't see a thirteen-year-old human girl. Lightning drove over to the bar area, catching the attention of the bartender. "Hey! You see a girl come by here? Young kid? Blue streaks in her hair? Glasses?"

"Yeah, she got a couple cans of oil for your table and then skated off that way." The bartender said, pointing in the direction Harley left.

Lightning thanked the bartender and drove off. But all he found was a spot where someone had cleaned up a spill. Worry crept up inside him. Where would a kid wander off to? Harley isn't the type of person to just skate off without telling someone. What if she was in trouble? Lightning drove around, calling for Harley and asking partygoers about her location. Nobody seemed to see a thing. Now Lightning was definitely worried.

 _Maybe Doc already found her._ Lightning suggested to himself. _Or maybe she's back in the bathroom. Where else could she be?_ Lightning noticed a line of oil on the ground, like a track made by a pair of skates. He drove in the direction of the tracks, going into the ballroom area. A forklift pointed him in the direction Harley went, and Lightning hurried off. He got outside and scanned the area.

"Harley? Hey Harley!" Lightning called. "Where are you?"

"Here…"

Lightning turned to the bushes nearby, and he poked his front through the foliage. Harley sat behind the bushes, curled up in a ball. "There you are!" Lightning sighed in relief. "You know, Doc's been worried sick about you." He noticed her eyes were puffy and red, and tear stains graced her freckled cheeks. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Harley sniffled. "Nothing."

Lightning frowned. "Hey, come on. Tell me why you're crying."

Harley sniffled again. "People are being mean to me."

Lightning's frown deepened, and he glared. "Who? Who was being mean to you?"

Harley curled up tighter. "Everyone. The racers and their crews. They keep teasing me. They don't think I belong here." She sighed. "I'm a burden and a distraction to you."

"Really?" Lightning scoffed. "And that's what they told you, isn't it?" Harley nodded. "Well, it's not true."

"I can stop coming to your races if you want." Harley said, still not looking towards Lightning.

"Are you kidding?" Lightning nudged Harley, forcing her to look at him. "Harley, I love it when you come to my races. In fact, you're _required_ to. You're my best cheerleader! You're the co-chief! You are one of the reasons I never give up even when the race gets tough."

Harley stopped sniffling, and she rubbed the tear stains from her cheeks. Her eyes didn't look so puffy anymore. "So, I'm not embarrassing you?"

"Of course not!" Lightning assured. "Come on. Let's get back in there. You're staying with me for the rest of the night."

Harley yelped a bit when Lightning nudged her to her feet. "But won't hanging around a kid hurt your image?"

"Even if I did care about my image, it wouldn't matter." Lightning said as he herded Harley back towards the party. "Besides, the press will eat that stuff up in seconds."

Harley gulped, but stayed close to Lightning out of habit. "Lightning, I don't know about this. Maybe I should go find Dad and go to the hotel."

"Nope." Lightning said firmly. "You are staying with me for the rest of the night, and that's final."

They entered the outdoor dining area again, and Harley went as close to Lightning as possible without tripping over her skates. Lightning smiled warmly and greeted other racers, making sure Harley stayed by his side.

"Harley! There you are!" Doc called, driving over to his daughter and trainee. "Where have you been?"

"Uh….." Harley looked down.

"She just got lost on the way back from the bathroom." Lightning said quickly. "But it's okay. She's going to stay with me for the rest of the night. Right, Harley?"

Harley cleared her throat. "Uh, right. Yeah."

Doc looked back and forth between Lightning and Harley. "You sure?"

"Yep!" Lightning nodded. "Come on, Harley. I want to introduce you to a female racer I know." He drove off, Harley right by his side. Doc stared after them, a contemplative look in his eyes.

"Hey, kid!" one of the racers barked at Harley as she and Lightning passed. "Quit being so clingy! You're just slowing him down."

The racer hardly finished his sentence when Lightning whipped around so they were grill-to-grill. The racer jumped back at Lightning's glare. "She is not being 'clingy.' She is part of my team, my _family_ , and I don't want you bothering her anymore or else I will have my tow truck friend drag you right out of here!" Lightning turned with a huff and drove off, encouraging Harley to follow him. The racer he just yelled at was dumbfounded, and quickly turned back to his table in shame.

Harley looked to Lightning and smiled softly. "Thanks."

Lightning grinned back. "Anytime, kid."

Harley's smile grew. Lightning's character may have changed for the better, but sometimes he slipped back into that hotshot mindset, especially on the track. This moment was when Harley realized how much Lightning actually cared about her. In that moment, she realized how much she loved him like a brother. Lightning had noticed it too. He didn't have any siblings of his own. But if he could have a brother-like bond with Mater, then it only seemed obvious that he would view Harley as his little sister.

 _The best little sister a guy could ask for._ Lightning nuzzled Harley lovingly, and she giggled and hugged him back.

Doc smiled at the scene, chuckling softly. "You notice it too, huh?" Mack noted as he parked beside the older racecar.

"Yeah." Doc nodded. "Those two make quite the team."

Mack hummed in agreement. "I want to thank you, Doc."

"For what?"

"For giving Lightning and even me the family we need. Lightning doesn't really have folks that care or really anyone to care about him. But you and everyone back at Radiator Springs really welcomed him."

Doc's grin broadened. "Well, if that little town could take me in, I guess it was pretty easy to accept him, too."

 _With a new son, this family just keeps growing and growing. He'll be just fine._


	35. The Storm

**A/N: I know, it's been so long since my last update! But I'm sure a lot of Fanfiction authors (almost all of them, really) understand how a busy week at school can drain the life out of you.**

 **I'll do my best to update more often in the future!**

* * *

 **The Storm**

Summer storms. They may not have the biting rain and cold of winter storms, or even the freezing severity of snowstorms, but summer storms always had the thunder and lightning and oftentimes the wind to make it all beautifully dangerous.

At Piston Peak National Park, the firefighters both admired and dreaded summer storms. More often than not, a lightning storm equaled another fire. Blade always stayed extra-alert when storms came through. He had to be the first one to check out the severity of the fire, after all.

But when he saw the developing stages of this storm, Blade foresaw a long night ahead of him and his team.

As a teenager learning masterful helicopter flying skills, Blade took a significant amount of time studying signs of severe weather patterns. While watching the developing stages of an incoming storm, Blade noticed dark cumulus clouds and occasional flashes of lightning. But he also saw the winds picking up, and those clouds approaching at a rapid rate. That was a clear sign of a severe storm approaching. By the time this storm reached its mature stage, there would be lightning, thunder, rain, wind, the works. Who knows when the dissipating stage would arrive?

Blade hurried to the patrol tower, switching on his radio. "Patch, come in."

" _I see you comin', Chief."_ Patch said. _"I'm on my way down."_

Good ol' Patch. She's probably had her eye on the weather reports. Blade waited at the bottom of the tower, eyeing the swaying treetops nearby. Patch came down at a quickened yet calm pace. Blade took this into account when he asked an inevitable question: "What's the status, Patch?"

"Severe. Level T-3, T-4." Patch said. "Winds are at a steady fifty miles an hour, but they're gusting at sixty. Very heavy rainfall, a little hail. Aircraft are advised to fly around or above it."

"So we're going into a storm shelter lockdown?" Blade guessed.

"Yes, sir." Patch said.

"Sound the alarm." Blade ordered. "I'm flying down to the lodge to alert Jammer."

"Copy that." Patch did a U-turn and returned to the tower. Blade started towards the runway to take off. Patch's announcement sounded just as he turned towards the lodge.

" _Attention aircraft and jumpers. We are officially in storm shelter lockdown. I repeat, we are in storm shelter lockdown. Secure your hangers and head to the main hanger. Repeat: secure your hangers and head to the main hanger."_

* * *

Jammer spent so long at Piston Peak that he also knew when a huge storm would hit. By the time Blade reached the lodge, Jammer already alerted the staff and campers. But when Blade gave Patch's report, Jammer increased the safety efforts and called Muir in to be housed at the lodge's station. Once Jammer assured him that everyone would be safe at the lodge, Blade flew off to return to base. The winds definitely picked up, making it a little difficult for Blade to keep himself steady as he flew. The extra control input he had to put forth usually exhausted him, and he let out a sigh when he could finally put his full weight on his landing gear back on base. Rain stung at his hide and beat repeatedly on his roof. All the hanger doors were shut, even the door to the garage. Whenever a storm hit, the base took it seriously. Every hanger remained locked down while everyone retreated to the safety of the main hanger. Even when Cad had cut their budget, they made sure that the main hanger stayed secure and strong. It was their only defense against the storm.

"Chief!"

Blade paused on his way to the main hanger when he saw Patch come up to him. "Why aren't you in the main hanger?" Blade shouted over the wind.

"I just got a call from Dusty and Sky!" Patch called. "They're on their way here!"

"Why in the heck are they trying to come now?" Blade demanded.

"Something about being released early." Patch explained. "They're heading our way!"

"Where are they?" Blade asked.

"I just got off the radio with them." Patch said. "They said they were approaching the park."

"All right. Get in the main hanger!" Blade ordered. "I'll give them a call." Patch nodded in understanding and hurried off to the main hanger. Blade moved closer to the tower to hopefully get a better signal, and he switched on his radio. "Ranger 301 calling Crophopper Seven. Chief to Crophopper and Riley. Do you read me? Over." Blade waited a moment. If Dusty and Sky were almost at the park, they should be able to hear him. "Ranger 301 to Crophopper and Riley. Do you read me? Over."

A voice came from the static. _"Crophopper Seven responding. Kinda hard to talk right now, Chief!"_

"Last I heard, you and Raven were on the way here in this thrice-damned storm!" Blade snapped. "What are you thinking?"

" _Blade, can we discuss this when we land?"_ Sky chimed in on the channel. _"The worst of this storm is right on our tails!"_

"You can't turn around?" Blade asked.

" _This wind is giving me enough of a hard time as it is!"_ Dusty protested. _"Besides, we're flying over the lodge right now!"_

Blade groaned. "All right, come straight to base. I'll meet you here. Hurry it up!"

" _Roger that! Crophopper Seven signing off!"_

Blade stared into the rain and the clouds, scanning the skies for any spots of red and white. This would be a hairy operation, but better to get Dusty and Sky in a secure, safe place until the storm passed. When Blade finally spotted the racer, he saw Dusty desperately trying to fly faster than the wall of rain and hail coming behind him.

"Champ, you read me?" Blade asked in his radio.

" _Yeah! I can just make out the runway!"_ Dusty had to shout to be heard over the wind and static.

"Good. Now listen up." Blade ordered. "This runway is going to be slick when you touch down, so try and slow your speed before you hit the asphalt."

" _Uh, I don't do well with slick landings."_ Dusty warned.

"I'll keep an eye on things from my vantage point." Blade assured. "Just get down here!"

" _Roger that."_ Dusty began his descent, his landing gear popping out of his pontoons. The winds pushed him around a bit, but Dusty managed to touch down on the runway. Blade wasn't kidding; the water on the runway made it so slick that Dusty began hydroplaning when he tried to apply his brakes. Luckily, Blade kept alongside him and threw his hoist, catching one of Dusty's pontoons. Blade slammed on his brakes. Though he slid across the ground several feet, Blade came to a halt and forced Dusty and Sky to do the same.

"Thanks!" Dusty called over the wind.

"Don't mention it! Let's go!" Blade ordered. Immediately, that wall of rain crashed onto them. The wind blew so hard, the rain seemed to come sideways. Blade guided Dusty and Sky towards the main hanger, and he pounded on the door. Maru forced the door open and allowed their comrades inside before he and Avalanche slammed the door shut again. Sky, Dusty, and Blade were soaking wet, but at least they were in shelter.

"Role call!" Blade called in an authoritative tone. "Windlifter."

"Here." Windlifter replied.

"Cabbie."

"Present, sir."

"Dipper."

"I'm here!"

"Smokejumpers! Dynamite."

"Right here."

"Drip."

"Hey!"

"Avalanche."

"HERE!"

"Blackout."

" _Aquí!"_

"Pinecone."

"Righ' here, Chief."

"Maru."

"Yep."

"Patch."

"Accounted for."

"And Dusty and Sky."

"Present."

"Drenched, but arrived safely."

"Good." Blade twirled his rotors to shake the water off them. "Now, Crophopper and Riley, care to explain why you thought it was a good idea to come flying over here in the middle of a severe thunderstorm?"

Sky wrung out her braided hair. "Mayday insisted."

"Yeah, when he heard you guys had a major storm coming, he practically ordered us to come out so we could help with the cleanup in the morning." Dusty explained, shaking his wings a bit to get the water off. "We tried skirting around the storm, but it caught up to us on our way towards the park."

"Well, remind me to thank him tomorrow." Blade said. "But you two really should have waited until the weather cleared."

"And miss out on hiding in the main hanger?" Sky said with sarcasm in her voice. "What are you all doing in here anyway?"

"Protocol whenever there's a strong enough storm." Blade explained. "The main hanger is the most secure, ergo the safest place to be when severe weather hits."

"Who came up with that?" Dusty asked.

"Chief before Blade." Maru piped up. "He ended up flying right in the middle of a storm like this and nearly smashed into the side of a mountain. Ever since, he's insisted on this to keep everyone safe."

"Good thinking." Sky mused. "But how long are we going to be in here?"

"Until the storm blows over, hopefully in the morning." Blade said. "Tomorrow, we'll survey the damage and work with Jammer and the rangers for cleanup."

"For now, we stay in here, where it's nice and warm and dry." Drip said.

"Until the power goes—" Cabbie didn't get to finish his sentence when the something crashed outside, and the lights flickered and turned off. "—out." At once, all the vehicles in the room switched on their lights.

"I'll get the lanterns." Maru sighed.

"I'll help." Sky offered, joining him at the shelves.

"Drip, Blackout, start grabbing some of the heat lamps." Dynamite ordered.

Soon, the firefighters gathered around a small circle of heat lamps and lights to wait out the storm. Sticks and other debris tapped against the walls and windows, just a little harder than the pounding rain and hail. The door rattled and shook, thankfully remaining locked. Lightning flashed in the windows, making the room light up briefly with every strike. Any conversation held during the storm had to pause for the thunder drowning out people's voices.

Drip jumped when a louder round of thunder echoed in the air, and what must've been a tree branch slammed against the outside of the hanger. "Man, I _hate_ storms like this."

"It's not that bad." Sky shrugged. Everyone jumped a little when tree debris hit the roof. "Okay, it's bad."

"You two flew _through_ that storm." Cabbie noted, looking back and forth between Sky and Dusty.

"Yeah, you got no room to talk!" Drip added.

"Well we've had to deal with storms like this back in Propwash." Dusty said. "We've even gotten tornadoes every once in a while."

"Ugh, I _hate_ tornadoes." Drip groaned.

"You only say that because you take _Wizard of Oz_ too seriously." Dynamite rolled her eyes.

"In all seriousness, you two don't usually fly around in storms like this, do you?" Maru asked the two racers in the room.

"Of course not usually." Dusty assured. "Just when the situation demanded it."

"I think the only other time we flew through a major storm was during our first Wings Around the Globe Rally." Sky pointed out.

"Oh yeah! I remember that." Dipper piped up excitedly.

"I remember somethin' about you two crashing in that storm." Pinecone noted.

"Yeah. Not our brightest moment." Sky admitted.

"I was still afraid of heights at the time, and the storm just knocked us right into the ocean." Dusty chuckled nervously.

"It's a wonder you two didn't come out with some kind of trauma." Blade said.

"Actually, we were a bit traumatized." Sky corrected. "We just didn't know it for a while. It took several months before we got over it."

"How'd you manage that?" Blackout asked.

"It's kind of a long story." Dusty shrugged.

"Please, do tell." Maru encouraged. "Anything to kill time until morning." Everyone else got comfortable, ready for a good story. Dusty and Sky exchanged a look and then shrugged.

"Okay." Sky began. "It was the day before Thanksgiving, and Dusty and I were in the middle of racing practice when the storm began to roll in."

"We weren't exactly a fan of storms in the first place." Dusty continued. "But that was when we figured out just how much crashing in the ocean affected us."

* * *

 _Dusty and Sky whooped and laughed as they flew through the obstacle course. Skipper kept an eye on them from above, keeping close watch on their form._

" _Tighten those turns!" Skipper called. "Let gravity work for you!" He watched the pair clear the silos and head towards the river. "All right, knife-edge those trees. And Sky, watch out for the branches!"_

 _Sky just managed to duck her head, and she felt just a few leaves smack her skull. "Thanks, Dad!"_

 _Skipper continued to follow the racers. Then, he noticed the light darkening. He glanced to the cloudy skies, and he saw the previously white clouds turned gray and seemed to grow darker. "Hey Dusty. We should head back to the airport. Storm's rolling in."_

 _Dusty and Sky looked up worriedly. "Uh….s-storm?" Dusty swallowed, fighting to keep his voice from going up an octave._

" _Don't worry. The winds are low for now, but we should head home before we get caught up in the storm." Skipper said._

" _He's right." Sky nodded, gripping the handlebar tighter. "Let's go._

 _Dusty turned, following Skipper back to the Propwash Junction Airport. He tried to keep his speed down, not wanting to seem in a rush to get home. Sky gripped the handlebar on Dusty's back so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Skipper and Dusty landed, and the winds began to pick up. Rain drizzled down. The citizens of Propwash Junction noticed the incoming bad weather and began preparing for it. Skipper and Sky bid Dusty goodnight and hurried home._

 _The full brunt of the storm hit during dinner. Sky tried to focus more on her mashed potatoes and green beans, but she couldn't stop herself from jumping in fear at the round of thunder right above the hanger._

" _You okay, kiddo?" Sparky asked._

" _Yeah. Fine." Sky nodded hurriedly._

" _Skylar, you're going to be all right." Skipper assured._

" _I'm not a child, Dad." Sky droned. She jumped again when lightning flashed in the window. Her grip tightened around her fork._

" _Skylar, you have PTSD." Skipper explained calmly. "It's normal to have this kind of reaction to what caused your trauma."_

" _We'll just do the same thing we've done every time there's a storm." Sparky said with a comforting smile. "Put in your music and redirect your attention to something else."_

 _Sky nodded in understanding, continuing her meal. Soon after finding she had some PTSD from the storm over the Pacific, Sparky and Skipper worked with Sky to help her calm down whenever a storm came. This was mostly to reduce the stress she felt during storms because she often had panic attacks. After dinner, Sky retreated to her bed and put her headphones over her ears. With her music overshadowing the thunder and rain, Sky could dive into a book she recently started. After a few chapters, Sky almost forgot about the storm._

 _Later that night, Sky saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and she pulled off her headphones. "Dad? Sparky? Where are you going?"_

" _Storm's getting a lot worse." Skipper said, he and Sparky preparing to leave. "You hear that bell?"_

 _Sky listened. Amidst the wind, thunder, and rain, she could hear a loud ringing at a frantic, repetitive pace. "Yeah."_

" _That's a distress signal." Skipper explained. "Back when the town was first built, they installed bells that could be operated manually, so that if there was a major storm or other emergency and someone needed help, they just had to ring the bell and someone would come."_

" _Skipper and I always go out to help people during times like this." Sparky added. "I think that bell is coming from the Cessna living near Honkers. She's got a couple kids, you know."_

" _You're going out there?" Sky asked worriedly._

" _Skylar, we've done it before." Skipper assured. "We'll no doubt have to do it again. It'll be fine. You just go back to your book."_

 _Sky nodded. "Okay. Be safe."_

 _Skipper and Sparky nodded and rolled outside. The wind buffeted against them, but they braved the storm and slammed the door shut behind them. Sky forced herself to put her worry aside and turned her music back on. She knew her father and Sparky could handle themselves, especially if they've done this before._

 _But halfway through a song, Sky's music shut off, and she realized her player's battery died. Sky groaned in irritation, but tried to read her book instead of listening to the storm. But, apparently, the storm wanted to be heard. Thunder rattled the windows. The wind shook the door. Lightning lit up the room and blinded Sky for a split-second every time it came. Rain came down so much it gave new meaning to "raining cats and dogs."_

 _Then the power went out._

" _Sure. Because I'm not suffering enough!" Sky shouted at no one. She huddled under a blanket, trying to block out the noise of the storm. "Well this night can't get any worse."_

 _Sky heard another bell ringing out. Amidst all the storm noise, Sky heard those bells at least a dozen times already. It seemed that a lot of people were having trouble._

I wonder if Dusty is okay. _Sky thought. Her eyes widened at the thought._ What if the storm tore the roof off his house or something? What if he needs help? Does his hanger even have a warning bell? It's a bit newer compared to the other homes in Propwash Junction.

 _Sky knew she couldn't rest without knowing Dusty was all right. She hurried to the radio in the corner, but suddenly remembered the power was out. Sky tried her personal flight radio, but the signal couldn't break through the storm and all she got was static. Now she had a real problem: she worried greatly for Dusty's safety, but the only way she could check would be to go through the storm. Fear and concern seemed to have a boxing match in her stomach, and she decided the only way she could decide what to do is to flip a coin._

 _The coin decided Sky had to go out into the storm to check on her friend._

 _So she pulled on a waterproof windbreaker and her hiking boots, grabbing her goggles just in case. Sky paused at the door, her fear returning. But fear for her friend eventually came through, and she opened the door just enough to squeeze out. She took off running to reach Dusty's home as fast as possible. She noticed Leadbottom heading towards a home ringing its bell, and Brodi darting off to another one. Every time her boot hit the ground, it hit a puddle, and water splashed up around Sky's jeans. With all the rain coming down, she became thoroughly soaked in less than a minute. The wind blew her jacket hood off, and the rain drenched her face and hair while waterlogging her goggles._

 _The second she reached Dusty's door, Sky began banging on it with her fist. "Dusty! Hey Dusty! It's me, Sky! Open up!"_

 _The door opened, and Sky dove into the hanger. Dusty shut the door after her and locked it. Sky shed her wet jacket and boots, water dripping from her hair._

" _Hey." Dusty greeted._

 _Sky noticed Dusty shaking a little, his eyes wide and darting around nervously. "Oh my gosh. You're scared of the storm too!"_

" _What? No." Dusty scoffed, but the tremble in his voice gave him away._

 _Sky laughed a little. "All this time, you've been telling me you weren't scared at all, and you're just as much of a coward as I am!"_

 _Dusty sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know."_

" _It's okay." Sky assured. She shivered a little and sneezed._

 _Dusty grabbed a towel from one of the shelves nearby and handed it to Sky. She wrapped herself in the warm, fluffy towel, sitting on Dusty's wing and scooting close to him. The two racers sat in darkness, hoping the storm would pass soon. They heard more bells, but they silenced once help came._

" _Sounds like Skipper and Sparky are on top of things." Dusty noted. "They did this same thing the last time we had a major storm like this, back when I was a kid."_

" _I saw Leadbottom and Brodi helping out too." Sky said._

" _Good." Dusty nodded. "Then everything will be fine."_

 _The two of them jumped at another round of thunder, and Sky huddled closer to her friend. They continued to listen to the bells ringing, ever thankful that Skipper, Sparky, Leadbottom, and Brodi were out there to help._

 _One of the rounds of bell-ringing sounded much closer than the others. "That's Martha's home." Dusty realized. "She lives just down the road."_

" _I thought she went out of town for an emergency hospital call." Sky said._

" _She has kids." Dusty reminded her. "A teenager and a couple younger ones. It's a good thing they found the emergency bell."_

 _Sky nodded in agreement. But several minutes passed, and the bell continued to ring. Usually, the bell kept ringing for about ten minutes before somebody arrived to help. But twenty minutes passed, and the bell continued._

" _Something's wrong." Sky said. "Maybe nobody can hear the bell."_

" _The storm's gotten worse." Dusty mused. "Maybe everyone else is staying inside for safety's sake."_

" _You think the kids will be all right?" Sky asked._

" _Well, maybe they're just scared." Dusty suggested. "I mean, Martha won't be able to come home in this weather. The roads have gotta be closed, it's so dangerous."_

 _Suddenly, Dusty and Sky heard breaking wood and a loud crash. The bell at Martha's home stopped._

" _That didn't sound good." Dusty gulped._

 _Sky hurried to the window, but she couldn't get the proper angle to see anything. Even if she did get a good angle, she could barely see a thing through the sheets of rain. The warning bell started up again, more frantic. "Did that sound like a tree crashing?" Sky asked worriedly._

" _Yeah, but we're not anywhere near the forest." Dusty's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Isn't there a big elm tree in their backyard?"_

" _The kids like to climb it all the time." Sky came to a sudden realization. "You think so?"_

" _At the very least, part of the tree could've broken off and hit the house." Dusty said._

 _Sky groaned in agitation. "We have to go check on those kids." She quickly shook the extra water off her coat and pulled it on. "The house might not be safe."_

" _You're right." Dusty nodded. They moved to the door and Sky pulled it open._

 _Lightning cast spooky shadows and thunder shook the racers' ribs._

 _Sky slammed the door shut. "On second thought….."_

 _Dusty swallowed. "Great. What are we supposed to do?"_

" _Well I don't want to go out there!" Sky snapped._

" _Those kids might need our help." Dusty reasoned. "They're still ringing the bell."_

" _Yeah, so we should go." Sky said._

" _But the storm!" Dusty protested._

" _I know!" Sky groaned._

 _Sky hated that Dusty actually brought up a legitimate point. Their fear of this storm dredged up bad memories, and they couldn't stop feeling scared even when they knew someone might need them. Even if they managed to get out the front door, would they be much help if the storm made them so scared?_

 _Sky glared in determination. "Come on, Dusty! What's it going to be? Are we going to hide in here like a couple cowards? Or are we going to get out there and help those kids and prove that we are professional racers who aren't afraid of anything?"_

 _Dusty glared too. "We aren't scared of anything! Let's go!"_

 _Sky threw open the door. But at the sight of the storm again, she slammed it shut once more. "Dang. Maybe we_ are _cowards."_

 _Dusty glanced in the direction of the bell. "I bet those kids are really scared right now."_

 _Sky locked eyes with Dusty. An understanding passed between them, and she smiled a little. "You with me every mile of the way?"_

" _You kidding?" Dusty scoffed. "I'm with you every inch of the way."_

 _The door flew open again, but this time, Dusty and Sky ran out into the storm. The rain drenched them in seconds, but they fought the wind to reach Martha's home. Thunder and lightning made them jump every time, but they kept going. They only thought about Martha's kids, and they listened for the warning bell. It still sounded, loud and clear, and Sky began to wonder what held up her father and Sparky to prevent them from helping._

 _Finally, they reached the house, and they discovered the top half of the elm tree had indeed broken off and landed right on the roof, caving some of it in. Sky ran up to the porch to try the door, but it was locked tight. She pounded on the door furiously._

" _Hey! Jacob! Amelia! Lisa!" Sky shouted. "Open up!"_

" _They probably can't hear us!" Dusty shouted over the wind._

" _Then we gotta find a window!" Sky ran around the side of the house, Dusty close behind. They found where the tree had broken some of the house, including where a tree branch went right through a window. Sky jumped up on Dusty's wing, standing near the tip. Dusty caught on, and he jerked to one side to throw Sky up in the air and towards the tree branch. She managed to grab the tree branch, and she tried to pull herself up. But the branch suddenly broke through more of the glass, jerking Sky down and almost knocking her off. Dusty prepared to catch her, keeping a close eye on his friend. Sky managed to keep a tight grip, and now she had a wider opening to get inside. Carefully climbing past the broken glass and pushing through the torn screen, Sky made it inside and started searching for the kids._

" _Hello!" Sky called. "Anybody in here?" Sky rounded a corner, and she nearly crashed into a brown-haired teenage boy coming down the hallway._

" _Skylar!" the boy cried, his brown eyes full of worry._

" _Jacob, where are your sisters?" Sky demanded._

" _We were up in the attic." Jacob explained, stumbling a bit over his words. "We didn't think it would be that bad, but then a branch broke the window! We didn't know where Mom was, so I started ringing the alarm bell. Then part of the tree fell through the roof!"_

" _Where are your sisters now?" Sky repeated._

" _They got stuck in the corner of the attic. The tree is blocking their way!" Jacob shook a little._

" _Jacob, it'll be okay." Sky assured. "Go to your room and go to the window. It's broken, so be careful. Dusty is just outside. Tell him to meet you at the front door and both of you wait for me!"_

 _Jacob nodded hurriedly and sprinted off. Sky ran towards the stairs that led to the attic. It took a few minutes to find them since she hadn't babysat for Martha in a while. But she made it to the attic and found Jacob was right: the tree fell right through the roof and blocked off a section of the attic spacing. Sky heard the girls, and she began digging through the rubble and tree branches to find a clear spot. She eventually found one and guided the girls through the tree branches and to freedom. Sky lifted the youngest toddler in her arms and grabbed the nine-year-old's hand, leading the way down to the front door. They got outside and saw Jacob and Dusty waiting for them._

" _Hold onto my wing!" Dusty called. "We're going to my hanger!"_

 _Sky wrapped Lisa in her jacket and helped Amelia sit up on Dusty's wing. Then she lifted up Lisa into her arms and she and Jacob held onto Dusty's wing. Dusty guided them through the storm and back to his hanger. Once they were safe and dry, Dusty locked the door and Sky hung up her jacket._

" _Everyone okay?" Sky asked._

" _Fine." Jacob nodded._

" _I'm okay." Amelia said._

" _I'm cold." Lisa sneezed._

" _I've got some heat lamps." Dusty said. "Sky, there are towels and blankets in the closet over there. You guys can spend the night here."_

" _When will Mommy be back?" Amelia asked._

" _Probably in the morning." Sky said. "Too dangerous for a taxi to be driving right now."_

" _She's gonna come back soon, right?" Jacob asked. "How am I going to explain the fact that our roof is broken?"_

" _Jacob, it wasn't your fault." Dusty said, pushing some heat lamps into the center of the room. "Your mom is no doubt worried about you guys, and I think she'll be more concerned about your safety rather than the storm damage to the house."_

" _Here, dry off." Sky handed out towels to each of the kids and helped Dusty dry off as well. Once everyone was just damp instead of soaking wet, they gathered around the heat lamps and cuddled under warm blankets._

" _Thank you." Lisa said._

" _Yeah, thanks for the help." Jacob said. "This was crazy."_

" _I'm just glad we could get you guys out of there." Dusty said. "It wouldn't be safe to stay in a broken house."_

" _I wonder where Dad, Sparky, and everyone else are." Sky said._

" _We'll see them in the morning." Dusty assured. "We should get some sleep."_

" _Tell us a bedtime story." Amelia requested sweetly._

" _Racing story." Lisa added._

" _Okay." Sky nodded. "Dusty, you pick the story."_

 _Dusty thought for a moment. "How about the time El Chu taught us indoor racing?"_

* * *

"The next morning, there was a lot of damage to a lot of buildings." Sky finished the story. "Almost leveled the town. Luckily, we managed to regroup with everyone and get an idea of how bad it was."

"Turns out we had gone into the storm right after Skipper declared it a state of emergency." Dusty added. "He, Sparky, and everyone else were hiding out in their homes to wait out the storm. They were a little worried when they didn't see Sky at home."

"Martha came home and got the kids." Sky said. "But the power was still out. Some of the folks had gas-powered stoves that were still in good working order. We decided to just start cooking and have a town-wide Thanksgiving dinner so none of the food would be wasted. Took a week's worth of work, but we managed to fix up the town. Practically rebuilt it, really."

"Wow." Dipper breathed, in awe much like the rest of the firefighters.

"So you aren't afraid of storms anymore?" Maru asked.

"Not after that." Sky said.

"Of course, we would always try to avoid flying through such severe storms." Dusty added. "But it's stupid to be so afraid of bad weather."

"From an aircraft's perspective, that's actually a legitimate fear to have." Cabbie noted.

"Yeah, but that fear would hinder our performance in our jobs." Sky reasoned. "That's not acceptable."

Another round of thunder boomed right above the hanger, shaking the windows. More rain dumped onto the roof. "Well that storm ain't stopping for a while." Blade sighed.

"Better get comfortable." Dynamite warned. "Looks like we're spending the night in here."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Maru shrugged. "Remember that big ice storm?"

"Now _that_ was bad." Cabbie nodded. "Chief nearly went ballistic."

"Maru was just pushing his luck." Blade reasoned.

"You threatened to lock me out of the hanger and let me freeze to death." Maru droned.

"Well that sounds like a good story." Sky said. "Let's hear it." Everyone else agreed.

"Maru, you know that story best. Go ahead." Blade offered.

"All right. Well, this was several years ago. It was also the middle of winter, so the only ones on base were me, Patch, Cabbie, Windlifter, and Blade. A huge blizzard began rolling in, so we took shelter in the main hanger. The next day, we were completely snowed in. Even down at the lodge. Avalanche had to be called in to help clear a pathway for everyone."

"But we were stuck in the main hanger for three days." Blade pointed out.

"That doesn't seem so bad." Dusty shrugged.

"Trust me." Blade cast a look to Maru. "It was."

Sky laughed. "Well don't leave us hanging! Tell us what happened!"


	36. Fathers

**A/N: I know, it's been a long time. But let me tell you: I was** _ **not**_ **completely pleased with the last story I did. It wasn't my best work, and I knew it even when I uploaded it. So I won't do that again. Even when school gets me busy, I will take time to write and edit and make quality work, because I know I can produce such better writing. Like** _ **Into the Psyche 3**_ **, which I plan to start this week. So you may not see much more of** _ **Psyche Stories**_ **for a while.**

 **So here's this double oneshot, in hopes it makes up for the last one!**

* * *

 **Fathers**

It was a quiet, summer night in Propwash Junction. Everyone slept peacefully, knowing that tomorrow was a new day for fun and farm work. Darkness consumed the Riley hanger, broken only by the moonlight coming through the window. The hanger's occupants slept soundly, except for one.

A twelve-year-old Sky tiptoed silently across the hanger, scooting around Skipper's sleeping form and going towards a set of shelves near the door. Sky made sure her father still slept, and she began perusing the shelves. She found a row of scrapbooks, and she pulled one of them down. As quietly as she could, she began flipping through the pages and staring at the pictures inside. These were photos of Skipper and Sparky during the war, before Glendal Canal. Most of them depicted Sparky and Skipper at various places around the _Flysenhower_ , doing seemingly random things that didn't give Sky much information.

Skipper suddenly shifted in his sleep, mumbling incoherently. Sky froze, staring at him and praying he wouldn't wake up. Skipper soon settled, snoring softly. Sky let out a breath, and she put the scrapbook away and snuck back to bed.

The next morning, Skipper and Sparky gave no indication that they knew of Sky's snooping. They simply went about their normal morning business before seeing Sky off to her walk. Max had invited Sky to go on a hike with him, and Sky wanted to ask the firefighter about something very important.

"Father's Day, huh?" Max mused as the two of them trekked through the woods.

Sky nodded. "It's my first Father's Day with Skipper and Sparky. I mean, Sparky might be more of a brother, but I still want it to be special for both of them."

"Well you got at least a week to think about it." Max said. "Why all the fuss?"

"Because I don't know what to do." Sky said. "I don't know the best way to celebrate. I lived with them long enough to know them, but the only times we really have a party is my birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas."

"Maybe you don't need to do a party." Max shrugged.

"But I still want to get them something." Sky said. "Something that shows how much I love and appreciate them."

Max chuckled. "I don't think you need to go to all the trouble, Sky. Skipper and Sparky probably aren't expecting much. Last I checked, Skipper didn't like surprises, anyway."

"Yeah." Sky bobbed her head uncertainly. "I don't know. It's been a long time since I had a dad to celebrate Father's Day. Why shouldn't I take advantage of that?"

"These are things you have to answer for yourself, kiddo." Max said, tousling Sky's hair. "Look, whatever you decide to do, Skipper and Sparky will love it because it came from you, and they love you so much."

Sky smiled in thanks, her thoughts going back to that oh-so-important gift she wanted to give to Skipper and Sparky. It felt so much more important than it really was, but that's how Sky saw it. She owed so much to Skipper and Sparky. How could she show them that?

She worked all week, meticulously going over every single detail to make sure it was absolutely perfect. Making this perfect gift became a matter of pride for her, and she didn't stop planning and working until she absolutely loved the end result. Then she spent an hour wrapping the gift better than a store clerk at Christmas. Her stomach churned with nervousness the next morning, so much that she didn't eat much breakfast.

Sparky noticed. "You okay, Sky?"

"Yeah." Sky nodded, taking a bite of her cereal and wiping her mouth on her wrist. "May I go outside? I promised Chug I'd help him at the Fill N' Fly today."

"Be safe." Sparky said, waving her off as Sky headed for the door.

"Bye Dad! See you later!" Sky called as she walked out.

"See you later, sweetheart." Skipper called back. He hummed in thought after she left. "She seemed to be in a hurry."

"Didn't eat much breakfast, either." Sparky noted. "What's eating her?"

"Can't say." Skipper shrugged.

Sparky shrugged too. "Well, better go clear off the table." He drove back into the kitchen area and gathered the dirty dishes from breakfast. He noticed something else on the table that he swore wasn't there before: a rectangular object wrapped in navy blue wrapping paper and tied with a pretty white ribbon. The tag read, "To Dad and Sparky. With love, Sky." Sparky guessed that Sky left it there just before she left. He picked up the gift and drove back into the main room of the hanger. "Hey Skip! Check it out! Sky left us a Father's Day present."

"Well isn't that sweet?" Skipper chuckled. "Wish she hadn't gone to such trouble."

"Knowing Sky, it wasn't trouble at all." Sparky said.

"Open it up. Let's see what she thought to get us." Skipper encouraged. Sparky gently pulled off the ribbon and tore the paper, letting the wrapping fall to the floor. He held it up for Skipper to see better. Their reactions alone would make it clear to anyone how much they loved the present.

Sky had taken a picture frame and painted it blue-gray, similar in shade to Skipper's paintjob, with a Navy ribbon design across the bottom and silver stars on the side panels. Across the top panel, Sky painted the words "My Heroes." The picture itself was a family portrait Rosa took of Skipper, Sparky, and Sky on her eleventh birthday.

"It's perfect." Sparky sighed happily.

Skipper nodded in agreement. "That's our girl."

* * *

"I'll bet they hated it." Sky groaned, stacking a couple cans of oil on a shelf at the Fill N' Fly.

"I think you're overreacting." Chug laughed. "Plus, it's too late to back out now."

Sky sighed. "I think I overthought this whole thing too much."

"I agree." Chug nodded.

"That doesn't help, Chug."

"Well, you just can't overthink something like Father's Day. You know what I got my dad? A cheap card and a gift certificate to a restaurant in Sterling he likes."

"He liked it, right?"

"He loved it! You know why? Because it came from me. Because I put sincere thought into it. Even if I got him a crummy gift, at the end of the day, we love each other, and that's what's important."

Sky smiled at last. "Thanks, Chug. I really needed to hear that."

Chug grinned and nodded. "You gotta have more confidence in yourself, Sky. There are times to really think about stuff and then there are things you don't need to put a lot of effort into. Father's Day is one of those don't-think-about-it-too-hard things. I see the way Skipper and Sparky talk to you and the way they act around you. You're their whole world."

Sky blushed. "Oh shut up." Chug laughed heartily.

Sky decided to go back to the hanger for lunch. Skipper and Sparky waited outside, to her surprise.

"Hey kiddo!" Sparky waved. "Grab your jacket. We're going out to eat."

"Sounds fun!" Sky said excitedly, jogging into the hanger. She grabbed a light sweatshirt from her dresser and headed back towards Skipper and Sparky. Something caught her eye, and she paused and turned to the wall.

Her Father's Day gift hung on the wall, perfectly illuminated by the sunlight.

"You coming, Sky?" Skipper called from outside.

Sky looked to him and smiled broadly. "Coming, Dad." _I love you._

Skipper jerked his nose to one side. "Then let's go." _I love you too._

* * *

Under normal circumstances, Harley would've tried to scare Sheriff as the police cruiser slept at his post. But today was a special occasion, so she decided to forgo the antics.

"Hey Sheriff!" Harley called from down the road, raising her voice loud enough to wake him but without startling him.

Sheriff shook a little as he roused awake. "Hey there, Harley darlin'." He noticed she held something behind her back. "All right, what do you got there?"

"Relax. I'm just making a delivery." Harley brought her hands around to reveal a can of oil and a large, colorful card. "Happy Father's Day from me and Mater!"

"Aw, that's sweet of ya." Sheriff said, accepting the gift. "Why didn't Mater come out here? He's usually bouncin' around like a kid on Father's Day."

"Lightning got tangled in the cacti and Mater's been trying to fish him out." Harley sighed. "He told me to bring this to you before the oil got too warm to drink."

"Well tell him I appreciate it." Sheriff said gratefully. "And tell McQueen to stop racing at Willie's Butte until he gets a brake service."

"I've been telling him that all week." Harley rolled her eyes. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to go give Dad his gift."

"Of course." Sheriff nodded in understanding. "See you back in town?"

"You bet! You still have to come back in time for the party tonight." Harley waved as she skated back towards town. She knew Sheriff would never miss the Radiator Springs Father's Day party. It was a tradition that, every Father's and Mother's Day, the townsfolk came together to celebrate their parental figures, be they blood relations or otherwise. This would be the first year Finn and Holley joined the celebration, at Mater and Harley's insistence. Finn had already agreed to come down so he and Harley could practice strengthening their Soul Connection. Currently, he chatted with Sarge about their fighting days while Holley spent some time with Mater.

When Harley arrived in town, she saw Lightning getting a hose down from Red to get the cactus pieces off of him. Once he was cactus-free, Lightning shook a little to get the excess water off. "Thanks, Red."

The firetruck beamed proudly, driving off to tend to his flowers. Harley came up and smirked knowingly at the red racecar. "Well?"

"All right, all right." Lightning sighed, rolling his eyes. "You can take a look at my brakes."

"Tomorrow." Harley decided. "I'm going to see Doc right now."

Lightning perked up at this. "Uh…..mind if I…..you know, come along?"

Harley smiled softly. "I think Dad would like that. Come on."

The two of them journeyed through town and to the gravesites of Stanley and Doc. Since his death, Harley made it a tradition to come talk to him on special occasions: Christmas, Doc's birthday, and Father's Day. No matter how busy she was any other day of the year, those three days were devoted specifically to Harley's father. With her permission, Lightning joined her. He was surprised when Harley told him he never needed to ask permission. Harley had clearly seen the fatherly role Doc took on for Lightning, so it was only right for him to join her on these talks.

Their talks weren't always anything special. General things that happened recently, sharing memories, and sometimes venting frustrations. Lightning always complimented Harley on her great work with being his crew chief, and Harley would playfully complain about the little things Lightning did to annoy her. They even talked about Harley's spy work.

"You should see her, Doc." Lightning said. "Tough as nails and really knows how to kick…..butt…"

Harley giggled. Lightning never cussed, but he made especially sure to avoid those words around Doc. "It's fun. Finn says he's going to teach me everything he knows. I hope you're watching, Dad, and don't worry too much. I can do this."

Lightning didn't speak, staring at the grave marker for a long moment. He sighed. "Does it ever stop hurting, Harley?"

"Of course not." Harley said, her tone of voice betraying her smile. "It hurts to lose someone you love. But it gets easier as time goes by. The pain dulls. You just can't ever forget about them."

Lightning grinned. "Yeah."

* * *

"All right, everyone!" Flo called as everyone gathered at the café. "You know the rules. The party starts with memories of our fathers. I think it's only fair that our guests go first." The townsfolk voiced their agreements, causing Finn and Holley to fidget nervously.

"I don't think I have much to offer." Finn admitted.

"You won't be the only one, man." Ramone assured. "We're all family here."

"Start us off, Mr. McMissile." Sally encouraged.

Harley patted Finn's fender comfortingly. She wanted him to know that he could trust these people. At her smile, Finn finally gave in. "To be honest, I never had a very good relationship with my father. We had…..a difference in opinion regarding my occupation." He waited for someone to pressure him into the details. To the surprise, most of the townsfolk just nodded in understanding.

"Totally get it, man." Fillmore said. "I haven't spoken to my dad in years. He didn't like the decisions I made."

"You mean the organic fuel?" Harley asked.

"I think the thing he hated more was the crush I had on a boy in my class." Fillmore corrected.

"How did you deal with it?" Finn asked politely. "The relationship with your father, that is."

"When I couldn't hold our relationship together, I decided to let him go until he could accept me for who I am." Fillmore said. "We never did patch things up, but it was quite a relief letting go even though it was hard."

Finn nodded slowly, beginning to smile. Harley grinned at the sight. "Holley? Want to go next?"

"I'm afraid I don't have much to offer either." Holley admitted.

"What is it with you spies and the lack of parents?" Lightning asked.

"Stickers!" Sally scolded.

"Our cases aren't typical, rest assured." Holley said. "My mother died when I was a teenager. Father was never around, but Mother told me stories about him all the time."

"Did you ever find him?" Mater asked.

"No, I'm still looking." Holley said. "For now, I'm just going to have to get used to the fact that I don't have much of a family."

"That's not true." Harley corrected. "You got us!"

"You got this entire town here for ya." Sheriff added. "You and McMissile are part of the Radiator Springs family now."

"Trust me, we understand what it feels like coming in without a family." Flo assured. "Some of us came here without anyone. Some of us don't have any living family left. So we make up our own little family right here."

"Befriending Harley and Mater basically roped you two into this." Lizzie said. "So, like it or not, you're stuck with us."

Finn and Holley chuckled, sharing a look. This wasn't really a bad family to be with. Harley scooted closer to Holley while Ramone told a funny story about his father trying to fix their chimney (a story he had told at least twenty times before).

"I hope you find your dad, Holley." Harley whispered.

"I'm sure I will someday." Holley whispered back. "Of course, I don't have much to go off of except Mother's stories."

"Did she ever tell you what he looked like?" Mater asked.

"No." Holley said. "Just that he was an older model. She liked to talk about him, but she would never show me pictures or tell me what he looked like. I seem to know everything about my father and yet I would never be able to pick him out in a lineup."

"I'm sure there's a good reason." Harley said. "Was he a spy?"

Holley nodded. "Mother told me he died in the line of duty. But I don't believe it."

"Why not?" Mater asked.

"I don't know." Holley admitted. "There was always something about the way Mother talked about him. A certain shine in her eye. Like she reminisced on the past with fondness instead of mourning."

"I don't understand." Harley said.

"Well, whenever she talked about my grandfather, she always sounded a bit sad and mournful." Holley explained. "When she spoke of my father, her tone had a feeling of longing. Like she wished he would come back."

"We should try and find him." Harley suggested.

"Yeah!" Mater agreed. "I bet if we work together, we'd find him no problem!"

"You'd help me?" Holley grinned hopefully.

"That's what family does, right?" Harley said with a wide grin.

Though the three of them whispered amongst themselves while the rest of the residents talked, they didn't realize someone eavesdropped on them. Finn listened closely to Holley's words, and he felt more and more dread with every sentence. He couldn't bear to listen to them anymore, and he quietly excused himself. Though Harley voiced her concerns, Finn casually lied and told her he had to use the loo. Once he was alone in his room at the Cozy Cone, Finn took a few minutes to calm his racing engine. All this talk of fathers dredged up old memories. He was honestly surprised he lasted that long without having a minor meltdown.

Finn absent-mindedly made his way to his computer and turned it on. As he browsed deeper and deeper into the many folders and documents on the computer, Finn thought back to her: her warm smile, those shining eyes that always brightened when she thought of something happy, and that nasty temperament she had when someone threatened her family.

Her name: Emily.

Originally, Emily had been Finn's target. He was supposed to kill her because she was the daughter and successor of a mob boss in London. Emily's father was ill and about to die. C.H.R.O.M.E. wanted to wipe out the family-run mob for good, and Emily had yet to marry or have a child. She was the only heir. Without her, the mob would fall apart.

But when Finn arrived to kill her, he found her already dead.

At least, he thought she was dead. It took a bit of investigating of her hotel room to discover she had faked her death. C.H.R.O.M.E. was blamed, but the mob already dissipated. Finn kept an eye on Emily, wondering if she would rebuild her father's mob elsewhere. He didn't realize until two years later that Emily kept her eye on him too, waiting for him to try and kill her. Their first "date" was a vicious fight and chase that took them all over London.

When she kissed him, he knew he was in over his hood by falling in love with her.

They spent several years in a casual relationship. She often worked as an informant for Finn on some of his London-based cases. He wanted to marry her. He feared his enemies would find her and kill her first. So he faked both of their deaths, and they went their separate ways. Finn didn't hear from her again for fifteen years.

"There it is." Finn murmured, finally finding the right document. He entered in the password, and the file opened to reveal a copy of a letter Finn received years ago. At times like this, he liked to open the letter and read through it, reminiscing on the blissful moments of his past.

 _Dear Finn,_

 _I know I'm probably the last thing on your mind nowadays, but I hope you remember me. I trust you are doing well, and you're staying alive with all this spy business._

 _Sadly, this is not a letter to catch up. You see, I am writing to you now because we will never see each other again in this life. I was in an accident last year, and required an engine transplant. But my replacement engine has been failing, and I doubt I will live long enough to receive a response from you._

 _I had to write to you, Finn. I have to tell you: we have a daughter. Oh, she's so beautiful. Everyone says she's the spitting image of me, but inside she's you. She even wants to be a spy, just like her father! I told her you had died in the line of duty, and yet that hasn't deterred her in the least. If you think about it, and if you have the time, you ought to come see her. She'd be happy to see you. Then again, I'll be happy enough with you just seeing her for yourself. She would make you so proud._

 _If you think about it, go see her. She has my maiden name, Shiftwell. And I decided to give her the name you said you liked so much: Holley._


End file.
